THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021 

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Barbara Starr

CNN’s Barbara Starr stood out during an already tough Pentagon briefing when she hammered John Kirby on why they won't give specific numbers on how many Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far.

Kirby repeatedly blamed difficulties in ascertaining the number of U.S. citizens in Afghanistan for their lack of specifics, saying the country is in chaos and stating several times that some people don't register their presence in country, as is their right. The Biden administration has been imprecise on how many Americans and Afghan refugees are still trying to flee Kabul, and when Kirby called on Starr, she prefaced her question by saying “I really don’t understand this.”

“My question is: can this administration tell the American people how many Americans it has evacuated from Afghanistan? And if you cannot, can you please explain — not the denominator — why can’t you just say the number?” she asked.

“We are going to leave it at several thousand right now,” Kirby said as Starr pressed. He conceded it's “not a satisfying answer” but defended himself by saying “the number literally changes almost by the hour.”

“So does everything else,” Starr countered.

“I understand, Barbara,” Kirby said. “We’re gonna leave it at several thousand for right now.”

Starr followed up by pressing Kirby on what the military is doing to rescue Americans from outside the area they have occupied around Kabul airport. She also asked if the military is taking steps to destroy any equipment they can’t retrieve.

And her line about everyone asking follow-up questions was pretty great, too.

MEDIA LOSER:
Candace Owens

Former Republican congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik is suing Candace Owens for $20 million, alleging that the conservative commentator defamed her with multiple false claims of illegal activity.

The lawsuit, first reported by The Baltimore Sun, revolves around a 44 minute Instagram live video where Owens made a series of criminal allegations against Klacik. These charges include tax and campaign finance fraud, money laundering, doing drugs, and working as the “madame” of a strip club.

Law&Crime (Mediaite’s sister website) obtained court documents from the lawsuit Klacik has filed against Owens, and Klacik’s lawyer is arguing that the video was an extension of a “defamatory smear campaign” Owens has waged against his client.

Klacik’s attorney, Jacob Frenkel, further argues that Klacik has lost out on a book deal, media appearances and other financial, political opportunities because of Owens’ claims.

“Ms. Klacik and her family continue to be harassed daily, with Ms. Klacik specifically receiving harmful and degrading comments because of the defamatory claims made by the Defendant,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant has defamed and injured Ms. Klacik; accordingly, Ms. Klacik initiates this action to vindicate her rights under civil law and seek compensatory and punitive damages as a result of Defendant’s conduct.”

The lawsuit comes after another public spat Klacik and Owens had recently when President Joe Biden officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

This was accompanied by other social media dustups — with Klacik expressing interest in taking their feud to court.

The A-Block

Vaccine Hesitancy

Black Americans have surpassed White Americans in rate of vaccination by double digits, according to a new NBC News poll.

Black and Latino Americans lagged behind in vaccination rates for months as polls showed hesitancy among various communities, but vaccination rates among Black people have dramatically increased during the Delta surge.

That increase is reflected in the NBC News/Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies poll released Tuesday. Respondents were asked “Have you already gotten the vaccine?”

Among all adults, 69 percent say they have gotten the vaccine, with 13 percent saying they will not take the vaccine, and the rest either unsure or expressing some willingness to eventually get vaccinated.

Black Americans were the racial group most likely to say they’ve been vaccinated at 76 percent, with Latinos also above the average at 71 percent, and White people at 66 percent.

The lowest self-reported rate of vaccinations was among respondents who voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020. Only 50 percent of thoe Trump voters say they have been vaccinated.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick drew harsh criticism last week when he tried to blame the spread of Covid in his state on Black Americans. Patrick told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that “the biggest group in most states are African-Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.”

The poll also breaks down the spread between "rural" and "urban" residents.


In Other News...

Now For The REAL Pain: Andrew Cuomo Stripped of International Emmy on Day of Resignation

Backlash Over Mayim Bialik's Unearthed Vaccine Remarks Intensifies as She's Chosen to Guest Host Jeopardy!

Taliban Spokesman Says Afghans Will No Longer be Allowed to Leave Their Country

NEW: Taliban Spokesman Says Afghans Will No Longer be Allowed to Leave Their Country

Must See Clip

"You are not a horse! You are not a cow! You’re a..."

During his opening monologue while guest hosting Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith ranted against the anti-vaxxers who are using livestock medicine to combat Covid-19.

“In Mississippi, people have been taking a drug that is meant for livestock, to ward off the coronavirus,” Smith said as the audience chuckled at the absurdity.

Vaccine skeptics having more trust in livestock medicine than the Covid jab prompted the FDA to release a statement, disavowing human use of a drug that is utilized primarily to deworm horses and cows.

“You are not a horse. You are not a cow,” the FDA tweeted from its official account. “Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”

“This is a real tweet from the FDA,” Smith said in disbelief before adding, “They are absolutely right. You are not a horse! You are not a cow!"

But he does have another animal in mind.

Links We Like

Pompeo Defends Taliban Agreement as Starting Point, Says Biden Abandoned Deterrence
- Jack Crowe, National Review
New York’s New Governor Wants You to Forget Some Things
- Alyssa Katz, New Republic
Republican Governors Are Not ‘Banning Masks in Classrooms’
Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review
Matt Gaetz Really Asked Trump’s Approval Before Proposing to Wife
- Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root
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