Trump’s visit to Kenosha leaves city divided

Wednesday, September 2, 2020 Good morning, NBC News readers.    President Donald Trump's visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, drew a mixed reaction, Sen. Ed Markey held off a Kennedy primary challenge in Massachusetts and convalescent plasma may not be a plausible treatment for COVID-19 after all.    Here's what we're watching this Wednesday morning.  How did Trump's visit to Kenosha play out? Depends on who you talk to  President Trump's controversial visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday may have intended to unite the city, but it only served to lay its divisions bare.     To many who live in Kenosha, NBC News' Janell Ross reports, Trump seemed interested only in making his own points, not in listening to their concerns. But to others, the president's visit was a welcome affirmation of the social order.   "Listening is one of the great strengths of a leader," said the Rev. Murry Wilson, an associate pastor at Second Baptist Church, one of Kenosha's predominantly Black congregations. "And what our president demonstrated by coming here today was not that."    But that's not how Jim Larsen, a white factory worker, saw Trump's tour of his city.    "It sends the right message about who is in charge and who needs to stand down, what kind of country this is supposed to be and how people ought to behave," he said.    But family members of Jacob Blake, the Black man whose shooting by police officers sparked many of the protests, weren't interested in the president's message.    "Trump has an agenda. It's hate and division and re-election," said his uncle Justin Blake. "But we have one, too, and that's justice for little Jake." Video: Trump's visit to Kenosha draws mixed reaction from residents Markey fends off Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary that divided Democrats Sen. Ed Markey on Tuesday held off a primary challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a race that divided progressive and establishment Democrats.    From a distance, the race appeared to be similar to others around the country where longtime Democratic politicians were ousted in primaries by younger, more progressive challengers. But different dynamics were in play in the Markey-Kennedy fight.   Kennedy, 39, wasn't considered more liberal than Markey and he hails from one of the country's most powerful political dynasties — his grandfather was Sen. Robert Kennedy, and JFK was his great-uncle.   Markey, 74, a longtime House member who was elected to the Senate in 2013, has his own progressive bona fides: He is one of the co-sponsors of the Green New Deal, which earned him the endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.   Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey beat Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the primary challenge. (Photo: Gretchen Ertl / Reuters) Trump's 'plane loaded with thugs' conspiracy theory matches months-old rumor The conspiracy theory that President Trump pushed Monday that a plane "almost completely loaded with thugs" had been set to disrupt the Republican National Convention was almost identical to a rumor that went viral on Facebook three months ago.   In an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump claimed that "we had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that."   He then claimed the matter was "under investigation right now."   There is no evidence of any such flight. And the claim almost directly matches a viral Facebook post from June 1 that gained so much steam in Idaho that a police department issued a statement insisting it was "false information."   Opinion: Trump's love of unhinged conspiracy theories could help him with these 2020 voters, cultural historian Lynn Stuart Parramore writes in a THINK piece.  Trump also alleged in his interview with Ingraham that a group of people from "the dark shadows" are controlling Biden. (Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images)   Convalescent plasma not recommended to treat COVID-19, government panel says There is no solid evidence for or against recommending convalescent plasma to treat patients hospitalized with COVID-19, a government panel said Tuesday, less than 10 days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the treatment.   The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel, part of the National Institutes of Health, said it had reviewed all of the available research on convalescent plasma, including the FDA's analysis that led to its emergency use authorization.   "There are currently no data from well-controlled, adequately powered randomized clinical trials that demonstrate the efficacy and safety of convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19," the group wrote online. Video: Experts question effectiveness of COVID-19 plasma therapy Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here. Plus  Belarusians detained in the wake of the contested election tell stories of beatings and mistreatment. More and more Black Americans are buying guns. What's behind the trend? Listen to the latest episode of our "Into America" podcast. Who is the richest woman in the world? The pandemic-fueled tech surge has led to a reshuffling at the top of the U.S. billionaires list. THINK about it  Are elite U.S. colleges really just hedge funds with classrooms attached, writer Danny Schwartz asks in an opinion piece. Live BETTER  They say you should never meet your heroes. One TODAY producer is proud to say she met hers — King T'Challa aka: Chadwick Boseman.  Shopping Bottle of wine — check. Opener? Here are the best wine openers, according to experts.  One amazing thing  Just hours before Hurricane Laura lashed Louisiana, a team of neonatal nurses sprung into action, including one nurse expecting her own baby any day now.    Their mission: To evacuate 19 babies from the neonatal intensive care unit to higher ground and make sure they were in a safe place before the hurricane hit.    Thanks to a lot of teamwork and hustle, they succeeded. Video: Meet the hero nurses who protected 19 NICU babies as Hurricane Laura hit Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: petra@nbcuni.com   If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Petra Cahill Download the NBC News Mobile App Follow NBC News Privacy Unsubscribe