Monday morning news - August 31, 2020

Dems seeking to compel in-person election security briefings » House Democrats are attempting to force Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to brief lawmakers in person about all foreign attempts to interfere in U.S. elections. 

That after Ratcliffe said he will no longer brief all members of the House or Senate about intel on election meddling.

Ratcliffe said those lawmakers who are “entitled to the briefings and classified information will still get” it—“primary in writing.” 

RATCLIFFE: I’m going to continue to keep Congress informed. But we’ve had a pandemic of information being leaked out of the intelligence community, and I’m going to take the measures to make sure that stops. 

Speaking with CNN on Sunday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff responded to claims of intel leaks.  

SCHIFF: I haven’t. My staff hasn’t. I can’t speak for what all the members of the committee have done or not done, including a lot of the Republican members. 

He called it “another falsehood” from the Trump administration. He said the White House has other motives for halting in-person intel briefings.  

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted the decision in a statement. He said the move—quote—“shows that Trump is “hoping Vladimir Putin will once more boost his candidacy.”

Police investigating deadly Portland shooting » Police are investigating a deadly shooting on the streets of Portland.

A man was fatally shot after supporters of President Trump clashed with left-wing protesters in Portland on Saturday. 

The head of a group called Patriot Prayer said the still unnamed victim was a member of the group based in Washington state. 

Police issued a plea for any information related to the killing, including videos, photos or eyewitness accounts. 

It wasn’t clear if the shooting was related to the clashes between Trump supporters and anti-police protesters in Portland.

As tempers continue to flare, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said Sunday…

WHEELER: For those of you saying on Twitter this morning that you plan to come to Portland to seek retribution, I’m calling on you to stay away. Of course, you have a constitutional right to be here. But we’re asking you to stay away. 

But acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told ABC’s This Week that, in his view, Wheeler is part of the problem.

WOLF: I think this points to a larger issue that we’ve seen in Portland for the past three months, and that is local and state officials not allowing law enforcement to do their job and really to bring this violent activity, night after night after night, to a close. 

He added that even though Portland officials say they don’t want the feds in their city—quote—“all options continue to be on the table.”

Kenosha shooting suspect claims self-defense » Meantime, in Wisconsin, public defenders for the 17-year-old charged with fatally shooting two people during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin say he was acting in self-defense. 

Kyle Rittenhouse fatally shot one man, who he said tried to take his gun from him. 

Moments later, video footage shows him running from a group of protesters. Rittenhouse tripped as he ran down the street, and someone in the crowd yelled “get him.” Two men approached him on the ground and tried to take his gun. Both were shot, one fatally. 

A judge has granted Rittenhouse’s request for more time to hire a private attorney before a hearing. 

President Trump tours Gulf Coast in wake of hurricane » President Trump visited the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast of Louisiana and southeast Texas over the weekend. 

Trump toured the wreckage left behind by Hurricane Laura and he said he met with some residents who were devastated by the storm. The president said FEMA is working closely with both states on relief and rebuilding efforts. 

TRUMP: They’ll all get it going. One thing I know about this state, they rebuild it fast. There’s no problem. And we will supply what we have to supply. 

Hurricane Laura slammed the coast as a Category 4 storm last week. 

Sixteen people died as a result of the storm. More than half of those fatalities came from people using outdoor generators indoors, causing carbon monoxide poisoning.

Thousands remain without power or running water, and it could take weeks to restore service.  

Hundreds of movie theaters reopen » Movie theaters have reopened for business—or at least a lot of them have. The nation’s two biggest theater chains, AMC and Regal, together reopened about 300 theaters over the past two weeks. 

And for the first time since screens went dark in March, a new movie has earned eight figures at the box office. The New Mutants, a spinoff of Marvel’s X-Men series, has now grossed 11 million in ticket sales. 

TRAILER: It’s important we find out your power so we can help you get better. This isn’t a hospital. It’s a cage.

The newly reopened theaters have installed a host of new safety measures, including limited capacity and mask requirements. 

The first big test of the public’s willingness to venture back out to the movies will come later this week. Christopher Nolan’s mind bending action-thriller Tenet was expected to be a summer blockbuster before the pandemic. It will finally hit the big screen on Thursday.

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) President Donald Trump, center, listens as Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, second from right, speaks as he surveys damage from Hurricane Laura, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Lake Charles, La. 

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