Book leave to shutter Around the Block temporarily. Is a book forthcoming?

AROUND THE BLOCK

News with a Twist

Around the Block to go on book leave

Dozens of readers wonder where they’ll get their twisted news

Please note that Around the Block will be taking a 4-week leave to focus on writing several books, none of which have story lines or prospective titles.

Given that the book leave coincides with the most twisted presidential election in recent memory (OK, ever) and the fact that your correspondent has no concrete book ideas, during this period, if events call for a News with a Twist post, your correspondent will do his best to fulfill his obligation to his literally dozens of readers.

In the meantime, “Buona notte e buona fortuna.”

(Full disclosure: Around the Block is not really taking a book leave but going on a trip to Italy for a little R&R -- got to take a break from the hustle and bustle of retirement. But “book leave” sounds so cool and everybody who’s anybody in the media takes one.)

Dean, Trump, Koch and Coke

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Howard Dean doubles down on Trump coke induced sniffle allegation

Koch brothers deny any involvement; Coca-Cola Co. silent

Former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean doubled down Tuesday on his insinuation that Donald Trump's debate-night sniffles were related to coke use.

"I'm not suggesting that Trump does, but I'm suggesting we think about it, because here's the interesting constellation — he sniffs during the presentation, which is something that users do. He also has grandiosity, which is something that accompanies that problem. ... It's something I think it'd be interesting to ask him and see if he ever had a problem with that."

There is no evidence that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has ever used coke. The businessman has long said he doesn’t drink alcohol or take any illegal drugs.

Dean, a doctor and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, first raised the coke use allegation in a tweet on Monday night as social media exploded with commentary about Trump’s breathing, which was picked up by his microphone.

For it’s part, the Trump campaign responded in an uncharacteristically graceful manner by issuing the following statement: “We will not dignify Howard Dean’s allegations with a response.”

However, prominent Republican benefactors Charles and David Koch did join in the controversy.

Carl “Oily” Sands, a spokesman for the billionaire industrialist brothers who recently rejected pressure from dozens of big donors in their sprawling political network to back Trump released the following statement:

“Not only have the Koch brothers or any of their foundations or PACs given any money to the Trump campaign, we have not provided Mr. Trump with any Koch. If Governor Dean’s assertions are correct, we can say unequivocally that Mr. Trump received his supply of Koch from someone other than the Koch brothers.”

Calls to the Coca-Cola Company regarding Mr. Trump's possible use of their Coke went unanswered.

Oliver calls Trump, raisins disgusting; Dancing Raisins think he's more like prunes

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John Oliver calls Donald Trump disgusting, like raisins

California Dancing Raisins ask for “cease and desist” order

In the September 25th episode of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” host John Oliver compared Donald Trump to “disgusting raisin cookies.”

In a segment meant to lay-to-rest the false equivalency that the many Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump scandals are equally egregious, Oliver said, “Ethical failings in a politician are like raisins in a cookie ... They shouldn't be there. They disgust people. But most politicians have at least a few raisins. 

Holding up an ordinary raisin cookie, Oliver continued, "Hillary … arguably has more raisins than average. There's probably 10 of these little f**kers in there … But [Trump] is a f**king raisin monsoon," Oliver said, triggering an avalanche of raisins on his desk. "He is ethically compromised to an almost unprecedented degree. So if you don't like raisins, I get it – they're disgusting. But unfortunately, this November, you're gonna have to swallow 10 or we're all going to be eating this shit for years."

Response to the raisin slur was immediate.

A spokesman for the California Dancing Raisins, Haig Keshishian, issued the following statement:

“While despite the best efforts of our marketing and advertising teams through the years, we understand that there are some people who don’t like raisins. We accept that. But for John Oliver to associate raisins with Donald Trump is completely unacceptable. In that regard, we are asking the Fresno County Superior Court to issue a cease and desist order that would ban any further showings of this episode of “Last Week Tonight” unless Mr. Oliver re-shoots the episode and substitutes prunes for raisins as we believe that prunes are much more in keeping with Donald Trump’s persona.

(Note 1: In the event that the California Dancing Raisin cease and desist order is upheld, following is a link to the “Last Week Tonight” segment that includes Trump and Clinton and raisins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lfd1aB9YI)

(Note 2: Full disclosure – I led the team that created the “Dancing Raisin” campaign in the late 1980’s)

Note: The shootings this week in Tulsa and Charlotte are tragic. We take the incidents seriously. We believe that all lives matter, including Black lives. We know that police work is difficult and dangerous. We know that there are mostly good cops although some are not so good. We  believe that when incidents like these happen, they should be dealt with quickly and transparently. Tulsa did. Charlotte did not. 

This Around the Block is not meant to trivialize or satirize the shootings and the subsequent investigations. However, when Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani agree on something we must get that "News with a Twist" before the public

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Giuliani: Release the Charlotte video

Agrees with Clinton; rushed to hospital for psychological testing after realizing what he did  

In an occasion unprecedented in recent political history, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former New York City mayor and Donald Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani agreed on something today: the police bodycam and dashcam videos of the Charlotte police shootings of Keith L. Scott should be released to the public.

In an interview outside of Trump Tower the former mayor and chief Clinton antagonizer said that the tape in the Charlotte police shooting should be released so “maybe we could resolve this thing a little faster.”

Earlier in the day Clinton, in a personal tweet said, “Charlotte should release police video of the Keith Lamont Scott shooting without delay. We must ensure justice & work to bridge divides. –H”

Within minutes of Giuliani’s statement, and after realizing what he had done, the ex-Mayor was rushed to Lenox Hill hospital in Manhattan suffering from what has been described as mental fatigue and moderate anxiety disorder.

At Lenox Hill, Giuliani underwent a complete five-minute psychological exam by Dr. Harold Bornstein, Donald Trump’s personal physician and renowned gastroenterologist. Bornstein issued a written evaluation, co-signed by TV celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz (who did not participate in the examination but who promises to show excerpts from it on his program next week), which said, in part, “After my customarily exhaustive mental exam, all indications of mental illness are extremely positive. In my opinion, Mayor Giuliani has the most perfect mental health of any person ever shilling for a presidential candidate in the history of presidential candidacies.”

Following the clean bill of mental health from Dr. Bornstein, Giulani in a press pool interview in front of Lenox Hill Hospital denied that he ever agreed with Hillary Clinton on anything and said, without having seen the still to be released video, “Look, this is going to turn out to be a justified shooting.”

Despite Cruz support, Trump claims he's still "Lyin Ted"

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Former rival Ted Cruz will support Trump

Trump reaction: "Voting his conscience?"

In a stunning about face, former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz announced today that he would vote for Donald Trump for president.

Cruz, who famously refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention by imploring people to “vote your conscience,” is apparently not taking his own advice.

During the campaign Trump always referred to Cruz as “Lyin’ Ted,” disparaged the looks of his wife, said that Cruz was ineligible for the presidency because of his Canadian birth, suggested he was “pussy” for not supporting waterboarding and other unconstitutional interrogation methods and linked Cruz’s father with Lee Harvey Oswald, John F. Kennedy’s assassin.

Despite all this, Cruz believes that Trump would make a better president than Hillary Clinton.

"After many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump," Cruz wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.

Cruz said he made his decision for two reasons: "First, last year, I promised to support the Republican nominee. And I intend to keep my word. Second, even though I have had areas of significant disagreement with our nominee, by any measure Hillary Clinton is wholly unacceptable — that’s why I have always been #NeverHillary."
  
Donald Trump did not accept Cruz’s endorsement graciously.

At a rally in Roanoke, Virginia Trump announced to a cheering crowd, “Once again, there goes Lyin’ Ted. Voting his conscience? I mean, believe me, he’s not going to vote for me. Not after how I treated him during the primary. The only reason he’s saying this now is because he’s seeing how tremendously I’m doing in the polls…I’m doing so great it’s unbelievable isn’t it…and he’s looking out for his own political future.”

As Trump was making his remarks, the crowd drowned him out with the chants “Lyin Ted, Lyin Ted” interspersed with  “Pussy, Pussy.”

In a subsequent announcement, Cruz’s new press spokesperson, Emily Litella, said that Senator Cruz reacted to Trump’s comments on his endorsement with, “Never mind.”