Trump’s Latest Briefing Was an Avalanche of Dishonesty

The avalanche of dishonesty from Donald Trump at a briefing Monday evening came to a crescendo with his talk of pre-existing conditions. If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser.       It's Still News When the President Wages a 40-Minute Assault on Reality   During a briefing Monday night, the president lied about mail-in ballots in Virginia, about Russian interference in the coming election, about foreign countries messing with mail-in ballots, about mail-in voting in New York, about whether the novel coronavirus spread in China, about tariffs, about how testing creates cases (again), about the stockpile of ventilators he inherited, about how the Obama administration "spied" on him. The chance to spout the last one was served up by a good friend from OAN, the network for people who think Fox News is insufficiently loyal to the president (a group which sometimes includes the president), who began her query—which she called an "opinion" question—by essentially asking the president whether it was difficult to be so victimized by very nasty people. This kind of Dear Leader vaudeville has become commonplace in the American republic. But the real peach arrived in a discussion of pre-existing conditions. Politics Editor Jack Holmes unpacks Trumps' avalanche of dishonesty. Read More           Beyoncé's Black Is King Offers a Blueprint For Decolonizing Black Masculinity   In the week after Lemonade, Damon Young of Very Smart Brothas put together a list of Black male artists with the potential to meet the moment and create a Lemonade for Black men. Rappers like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and even Mrs. Carter's husband were mentioned as possible contenders who had the stature and skill to create art for Black men at a similar level. But in the four years since Lemonade, no one picked up the baton. Even 4:44, Jay-Z's musical response to Lemonade where he admitted his infidelity and documented his growth as a husband, father and dedicated capitalist, didn't come close. Since Beyoncé is in her own stratosphere, competing against only herself anyway, it seems fitting that she answer her own call. Brooke Obie explains why Black Is King does just that. Read More           The 20 Best Polo Shirts to Get You Back Into Polo Shirts   A few months ago, the polo—long considered a symbol of ultra-privileged WASPdom and now fending off serious co-option attempts from the worst of the alt-right—suddenly started looking like one of the most democratic pieces of clothing a guy could own. It's comfortable and flattering. It's easy to style and effortlessly frames your face, even despite the unforgiving lighting and odd angles that are now WFH norms. And, crucially, it somehow still manages to straddle the line between helping you look appropriately dressed-up and not making you feel like you're the one dude who came through in a suit and tie when the invite called for "creative beach casual." Avidan Grossman hand selects 20 polos to consider now—and wear all year long. Read More           It's Time to Prop Your Laptop Up With Something Other Than a Pillow   As many folks work from their portable computers in lieu of the whole "monitor, extraneous keyboard, and mouse" shebang, it's time to reconsider everything you know about what previously would be a temporary work setting. And, unfortunately, a throw pillow does not a laptop stand make. Here are eight contenders, and at least one will support your Macbook or PC. They'll give you some elevation so you can lift your eyes, which will lift your head, which will straighten out your neck and spine (anatomy!). They'll also keep the internal wires and drives cool while clearing up desk space. Some adjust to multiple heights. Others just look cool. This is it: the long haul of home-bound work. Prep accordingly. Read More           The So-Called 'Intelligence Community' Has Once Again Folded to an Incompetent President   Bob Draper, who is a machine, has a new book, this one about how the country was lied, misled, and otherwise coffeehoused into the debacle that was the Iraq War. Much of that, of course, involved the tailoring of intelligence to meet the needs and desires of the cabal of neoconservative think-tank bombardiers around the administration of C-Plus Augustus. Which brings us to Draper's most recent effort for the New York Times Magazine, in which Draper describes how intelligence is now being barbered for the purposes of avoiding presidential* shit-fits. Charles P. Pierce considers Draper's assessment of "Key Judgment No. 2." Read More           Who Will Biden Pick as His VP? Here's Everything We Know About the Current Contenders.   It feels like Joe Biden's veepstakes have been going on for about a century, but that's only because he became the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate way back in April. Since 1972, no candidate has announced their running mate before early July, and some waited until late August before debuting their vice presidential pick. Biden himself wasn't named as Barack Obama's running mate until August 23, which means that we're right at the heart of V.P. announcement season. Biden is expected to reveal his pick this week. While we've definitely heard that one before from the candidate, who's missed his own announcement deadline more than once, the Democratic National Convention is just a week away, so we'll definitely be finding out the potential future V.P. sometime soon. Here are some of the top candidates for the role. Read More         Read More on Esquire.com       Follow Us     Unsubscribe  Privacy Notice   esquire.com ©2020 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019