::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

  The Westin Washington, D.C. Downtown Washington, D.C.   1:15 P.M. EDT   THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello.  (Applause.)  Thank you, David.  In my household, we refer to David as the Washington Monument.  (Laughter.)  He’s been a friend a long time -- a long time.  And not only thank you for the introduction, David, but thank you for your friendship.    And thank you all for being here and allowing me to be here.    Yesterday was an important day for the county, in my view.  Two and a half years after the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates, it announced that it would begin lowering interest rates.   I think it’s good news for consumers, and it means the cost of buying a home, a car, and so much more will be going down.  And it’s good news, in my view, for the overall economy, because lower borrowing costs will support economic growth.    And it’s an important signal from the Fed- ...

  (The Slice): Pres. Trump has changed his mind about participating in the next debate. The second debate in Miami next Thursday is currently in limbo over a format change. The Commission on Presidential Debates wants candidates to debate from remote locations, they announced after the Vice Presidential debate -- a move they made to "protect the health and safety of those involved." Liability for the spread of Coronavirus, with which Pres. Donald Trump is infected, may have prompted the Presidential Commission on Debates' decision to replace the in-person format with a virtual one. The Vice Presidential Debate ticket had a disclaimer on it stating members of the audience will not hold the Commission on Presidential Debates or the event host liable for any sickness including COVID-19. The president deems the change as unacceptable. A remote debate would allow organizers to have more control of the participants' conduct Cut-aways and muting audio could be used to gi...