Today's Takes: Tuesday, September 14

CORRECTION: The previous newsletter was missing the Nashville section.

Good morning, everyone.

When California Governor Gavin Newsom was a child, I doubt he imagined that one day he would stand between the state of California and the gaping abyss of Republican politics, but here we are. In a time when honor is rarely valued among the more sanguine values of comfort and mediocrity, it's been a blessing to watch Newsom stand athwart the forces of evil with that characteristic grin dripping with sincerity yelling, "Stop!"

Today is the first day of the official recall election in California. It's a simple vote today. Vote "yes" to recall Governor Newsom. Vote "no" to keep him. Larry Elder, the primary challenger and opponent who wants to drag the entirety of the state of California into the abyss with him, has begun to chatter about election fraud as he builds the case for himself.

Elder must be new to this. Doesn't he realize this is all on the level? There's no fraud. Just like all the other American past-times, we've eradicated voter fraud alongside apple pie and equality before the law. Elder needs to get with it and stop insisting on the "abyss" of Republican policies that include school choice, a tough stance on crime, and all those other policies that might actually solve some problems.

"Come on. Don't rock the boat, Larry," the media cries. "We're having a picnic here!"

Headlines

📰 Today's Front Pages

A quick look at this morning's front pages so you know what you're supposed to be mad about.

• Reuters: COVID-19 cases in southeast China more than double as Delta spreads (Read)
• New York Times: California’s Recall: What to Watch (Read)
• Wall Street Journal: Inflation Likely Eased in August, Though Still High (Read)
• Fox News: White House abruptly cuts feed of Biden mid-sentence as he asks question at wildfires briefing (Read)
• CNN: California Gov. Gavin Newsom was facing a tight race. Then Larry Elder came along. (Read)
• NPR: This Doctor Spread False Information About COVID. She Still Kept Her Medical License (Read)
• Breitbart: Gavin Newsom: A Vote for Larry Elder is a Vote Against ‘Diversity’ and ‘Racial Justice’ (Read)
• HuffPost: Biden Urges Californians To Keep Newsom In Office, Calling GOP Challenger A ‘Trump Clone’ (Read)

🏛 From the Hill

• Biden's success is tethered to Joe Manchin whether you like it or not (MSNBC) The fate of Bernie Sander's—and by proxy, Joe Biden—$3.5 trillion "end all pain and suffering" stimulus package relies on the consent of Joe Manchin who, so far, aggressively opposes the expenditure.
• House Democrats eye corporate tax rate hike, surtax on wealthy in spending package (Reuters) Leaders expect the proposal to raise as much as $2.9 trillion to pay for most of President Biden’s "end all pain and suffering" package. Here's the full list of tax proposals. Some notable:
  • Increase the top corporate tax rate to 26.5%
  • Increases the top capital gains tax (those making over $400,000/year) from 20% to 25%.
  • Increases the tax rate on tobacco and nicotine products
  • Double's the IRA's budget to more aggressively enforce tax policies

🌦 Climate Faux Pas

• Oil-rich Norway goes to polls with climate on the agenda (AP) Norway is one of the most environmentally-forward countries on the planet, but derives most of its wealth (5% of its jobs and 40% of its exports) from the oil and gas industry. In the upcoming election, a "green" coalition threatens to handicap it.
• Energy Prices in Europe Hit Records After Wind Stops Blowing (WSJ) "Wind accounted for about a quarter of Great Britain’s power last year, according to the system operator National Grid. After the wind dropped this month, National Grid asked Électricité de France SA to restart its West Burton A coal power station in Nottinghamshire. That won’t be possible in the future: The government has said all coal plants must close by late 2024."
• Biden to highlight link between extreme wildfires and climate crisis in trip to California (Guardian)

📈 Inflation Nation

• Food Inflation Hits Record High, Prices Up Sharply on Beef, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Eggs, and Fish (Breitbart) Food prices have increased 12.7% since this time last year, outpacing the overall increase of 8.3 percent in the Producer Price Index.
  • Beef and Veal: +59.2 percent
  • Pork: +34.1 percent
  • Chickens: +32 percent
  • Fish: +18 percent
  • Turkey: +41.4 percent
  • Fresh eggs: +31.7 percent
• American Consumers Believe Inflation Is Here to Stay, NY Fed Survey Finds (NR)

🦄 Woke-acracy

• Salesforce offers to relocate employees and their families after Texas abortion law goes into effect (CNBC) New type of guy who moves to a state where abortion is legal.
• Queen Elizabeth's London representative says royals back BLM movement (FOX17) Didn't think the royal family could fall further after Prince Harry gave up the life of a prince to play-act as a tech bro, but here we are...
• 177 Stanford Faculty Members Urge DOJ To Stop Looking For Chinese Spies In Academia Because It Causes "Racial Profiling" (ZeroHedge) Reminds one of George W. Bush's initiative to stop racial profiling of Arabs leading up to 9/11.
• Facebook to buy $100 million worth of unpaid invoices from 30,000 small businesses owned by women and minorities (CNBC) All businesses except those own by white men.

Original Essays

📏 Megan Podsiedlik checks in with Noble's Beer Hall & Kitchen to see how they weathered the pandemic and the challenges they face (Read)

In case you missed it

• Tell Them Phil Valentine Said, “Hey” by Jerod Hollyfield (Read)
• Total Recall: California’s September election by Jerod Hollyfield (Read)
• Entourage's Last Stand by Jerod Hollyfield (Read)
• 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' and the Evergreen Ills of American Politics by Jerod Hollyfield (Read)

Let Them Wear Versace...

🎫 AOC dons a dress emblazoned with the message "Tax the Rich" at the Met Gala where tickets run for $30,000 a piece.

Nashville Politics

• State attorneys review Biden vaccine mandate; business community speaks out (Main Street) In a recent survey by the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 76% of respondents said they opposed the federal government dictating vaccination protocols for businesses.
• Middle Tennessee Community Organizers Pivot From Violence Prevention To Vaccine Promotion, Too (WPLN) Whatever pays the bills.
• Tennessee Mayors Want Lawmakers To Invest In Flood-Proof Infrastructure (WPLN)

Nashville News

• About 300 Afghan refugees coming to Nashville (WSMV) "Would you prefer 300 woo girls or 300 Afghan refugees?"
• Opioid overdose deaths jump in 2020 (Lookout) Overdose deaths in Tennessee jumped nearly 50% in 2020 according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Health. Close to 80% of overdose deaths were caused by synthetic and prescription opioids.
• Metro Council Bill Aims to Rein in Lower Broadway's Party Vehicles (Scene)
• COVID-19 vaccine or negative test to be required at Bridgestone Arena (Channel 5)

Nashville Development

• Research Shows Tennessee as Popular Destination for Big Businesses Fleeing California (Star)
• Construction Underway At Broadstone oneC1TY In Midtown Nashville (Now Next)
• BNA continues renovations with groundbreaking of new hotel, parking garage (Channel 5)
• Berry Hill record label building offered for $1.18M (Post)
• KIPP Nashville scouting Hickory Hollow Mall for possible high school (Biz Journal)

COVID Gutter

Headlines

• Singapore reaches 80 pc double-vaccination rate but life is not returning to normal (ABC AU) News networks in Australia want citizens to realize that life will never return to normal.
• Israel Is Preparing for Possible Fourth Covid Vaccine Dose (Bloomberg) One vax, two vax, three vax, four!
• U.S.-Funded Group Ignored Mask Rules during Bat Coronavirus Research (NR) Researchers capturing bats for study in China at the beginning of the NIH-funded Wuhan study program rarely wore protective gear. A researcher assesses the risk by comparing the protective gear to a seatbelt: "I guess it’s like not wearing a seat belt," he said. "You fly to a strange country, you jump into a cab at the airport, you’re in a hurry, you don’t speak the language — and usually there’s no seat belt, right/ DO you jump out and look for another cab? No, you proceed. You’ve got things to do."
• Tensions mount between CDC and Biden health team over boosters (Politico) Rochelle Walensky, Director of the CDC, continues to get shellacked from all sides.
• Many San Diego police would rather quit than comply with vaccine mandate (LA Times) About 90% of San Diego police officers who responded to a recent survey said they oppose COVID-19 vaccination mandates, and 65% of them said they would consider quitting if the city were to enforce such a requirement, scheduled to take effect in November.
• No more national lockdowns as Boris Johnson rips up Covid rules (Telegraph)
• DeSantis: Cities and Counties With Employee Vaccine Mandates Face ‘Millions' in Fines (NBC Miami)

Information

• Vaccine efficacy against severe #COVID19 so high that booster doses for general population are not appropriate at this stage in the pandemic (Lancet) On the news that boosters may not be necessary sent shares of Moderna and Pfizer plummeting yesterday morning.
• So you understand what's happening in Denmark (Berenson) Denmark has a population of about 6 million. Since March 2020, 2,600 Danes have died from COVID-19. Only 26 of those deaths were among people under the age of 50.

Around the Web

🧅 An Oral History of The Onion's 9/11 Issue (Read)

🎈 Boomers: the luckiest generation that ever lived (Read)

Good to Know

🎤 Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of Tupac's death. Relive the man's career (Read)

Curiosity Cabinet

Have a great Tuesday