Democrats more than double GOP fundraising in Senate battleground states
The battle for control of the U.S. Senate is turning into a massive financial effort on both sides. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on political ads with Democrats out-raising Republicans by about 2.5 times in the top 10 battleground races. According to Politico, Democrats raised $203 million in the most recent quarter, versus $83 million by the Republicans.
Democrats currently control the Senate by a 51-to-49 margin. Republicans are hoping to flip two seats in November 2024 and have all their incumbents win reelection and thus take control of the lawmaking body.
Pundits believe Republican candidates winning in West Virginia and Montana are their best bets where Democrats are vulnerable.
However, in Montana, incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester raised more than $30 million last quarter. His Republican opponent Tim Sheehy raised roughly $10 million.
In Ohio, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is trying to beat back a challenge from Republican Bernie Moreno. Brown out-raised Moreno by a $30.7 million to $6.5 million margin in the third quarter.
In Pennsylvania, incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is attempting to hold on to his seat. He pulled in $16 million last quarter while Republican Dave McCormick raised less than half that, $7.6 million.
Other Democrats raising huge sums for Senate races include: Rep. Colin Allred in Texas, Rep. Elissa Slotkin in Michigan and Sen. Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin. Big money is also being spent in Nevada, Nebraska and Florida.
The onslaught of political ads is expected to continue until Election Day as Republicans are now running commercials out of joint fundraising committees, which have fewer rules and allow for larger contributions.
Transgender athletes in sports a ‘sleeper’ issue this election: WSJ
On Sunday, Oct. 13, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board wrote that transgender athletes in sports is now a sleeper issue in the 2024 election. The article noted three specific U.S. Senate races where the topic is key: Ohio, Montana and Wisconsin.
The issue is currently controversial in college sports. Nearly a half-dozen teams have forfeited their women’s volleyball matches against San Jose State University because the university has a transgender woman on the team. The player was born a male but identifies as a woman.
One opponent said their team demands a right to safety and fair competition, and they refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.
A 2023 Gallup poll found that 93% of Republican respondents believe transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on teams that match their birth gender, compared to 6% who said they should be allowed to compete on teams that match their current identity.
Meanwhile, 48% of Democrat respondents said transgender athletes should only play on teams that match their birth gender and 47% said they should play on teams that match their current identity.
In a town hall that is set to air on Fox News, former President Donald Trump said he would ban or stop transgender women from playing girls sports.
As for Vice President Kamala Harris, the group Advocates for Trans Equality has endorsed her, saying she has shown an unwavering commitment to advancing the well-being of the transgender community.
FBI visited journalist after he published hacked JD Vance dossier
An independent journalist made headlines earlier in October after publishing a 270-page report compiled by Donald Trump’s campaign regarding its vetting process for vice presidential pick JD Vance. Following the publication of the Vance dossier, the journalist, Ken Klippenstein, reported that he was visited by the FBI.
According to the FBI, the documents are believed to have been obtained by Iran when its operatives hacked into the Trump campaign earlier this summer. The hacked materials were distributed to several major news outlets, which chose not to publish them. However, Klippenstein published the dossier on his own.
After doing so, Klippenstein said he received a visit from the FBI.
“No subpoena, no search warrant, no prior announcement, no claim of illegality,” Klippenstein said. “America’s most powerful law enforcement agency wants me to know that it was displeased. It is delivering what many would consider a chilling message: we know where you live, we know what you’ve done, we are watching.”
Klippenstein acknowledged that he anticipated significant reactions to his decision to release the dossier, which he understood was obtained illegally by a U.S. adversary. Nonetheless, he stands firm in his decision to publish the material.
“When I chose to publish the J.D. (sic) Vance dossier, I knew and acknowledged in the story that it had probably come from Tehran,” Klippenstein said. “This placed me at odds with the entirety of major media, which in an extraordinary act of self-censorship declined to publish the dossier.”
He criticized organizations like Twitter, Meta, Google and the FBI for acting as “arbiters of the news” consumers receive. Klippenstein argued that their concerns about “threats” to democracy, including foreign interference and misinformation, undermine the fundamental principle of freedom of speech and expression.
Another repercussion of posting the dossier was a ban on X, which was reversed. When Klippenstein uploaded the documents to X, his account was suspended. X stated that the suspension was due to doxxing, as the documents contained sensitive information, including the Ohio senator’s Social Security number and home address.
Klippenstein subsequently redacted the private information from the dossier, and his account has since been restored. He claimed that the decision to reactivate his X account came directly from owner Elon Musk in the name of free speech.
Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears
With less than three weeks until the presidential election, the candidates are blitzing battleground states and the airwaves with town halls. And in a possible blow to small businesses hoping to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one federal agency is running out of money. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
Harris, Trump field questions during town halls as Election Day nears
With less than three weeks to go until Election Day, the candidates fielded questions on Tuesday, Oct. 15, in two different town hall settings.
Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris took part in a town hall in Detroit hosted by radio personality Charlamagne tha God as she looks to reach Black voters. During the town hall, the vice president said she believes slavery reparations should be studied.
Harris said while she is running for “president for everyone” she is “clear-eyed about the history and the disparities that exist for specific communities.”
The vice president also urged Black Americans not to sit out on Election Day.
Vice President Harris: Ask Donald Trump what his plan is for Black America. I'll tell you what it is. Project 2025 wants to implement stop-and-frisk. It wants to make it more difficult for workers to receive overtime pay. He wants to terminate the Constitution, which includes… pic.twitter.com/ZAQNgRkRyq
“The solutions that we all want are not going to happen in totality because of one election but here’s the thing: the things that we want and are prepared to fight for won’t happen if we’re not active and if we don’t participate,” she said. “We cannot allow circumstances to take us out the game because then basically what we’re saying is all those people who are obstructionist, who are standing in the way of change, they’re winning because they are convincing people that it can’t be done so take yourself out, don’t participate. Look at that circle, look at that vicious circle, then so let’s not fall for it.”
Meanwhile, Republican nominee former President Donald Trump participated in a Fox News town hall in Georgia moderated by host Harris Faulkner.
The town hall had an all-female audience, with the women posing questions to Trump on issues such as the economy, immigration, and abortion. According to reports of the event, which will air later Wednesday, Oct. 16 on Fox News, Trump said some states are “too tough” when it comes to restrictions on abortion and those laws “are going to be redone.”
“The African American community and the Hispanic community are being devastated with the jobs, the numbers are down 6, 7, 8, 9%. They are going to work, and they’re saying, ‘I’m sorry, we’re not going to take you any more.’ People that have worked there and worked there well for years are now being told that they no longer have a job because they have illegal immigrants coming in and taking their job,” Trump said. “Any African American or Hispanic, and you know how well I’m doing there, that votes for Kamala, you got to have your head examined, because they are really screwing you.”
Early voting begins in Georgia with record turnout
Early voting has begun in the battleground state of Georgia and it’s already seeing a record turnout. Voting for the Nov. 5 presidential election started Tuesday and by the late afternoon, at least 252,000 voters had already cast ballots at early voting sites.
That’s nearly double the 136,000 who voted on the first day of early voting in the 2020 election, according to a top Georgia election official.
Also Tuesday, a judge blocked a new rule requiring Georgia Election Day ballots to be counted by hand after the close of voting. That ruling came just a day after the same judge ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law.
Small Business Administration runs out of disaster relief funding
The Small Business administration has run out of funding for its disaster assistance loans right after the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. That means much-needed financial assistance will be delayed for people applying for help right now.
After a disaster, the SBA provides loans to businesses and people who need them. The organization had warned it expected to run out of money by the end of the month.
Congress can approve more funding, but lawmakers are not set to reconvene until Nov. 12. The SBA administrator said in the meantime, people that need them should keep applying for the loans.
HURRICANE #MILTON SURVIVORS: Business owners and residents in declared disaster areas can now apply for SBA assistance.
Israel strikes Beirut despite U.S. opposition; vows to avoid nuclear sites in Iran
At least one Israeli air strike rocked a Beirut, Lebanon suburb early Wednesday morning, killing at least 15 people according to the Associated Press. The strike came just hours after a State Department spokesperson said the U.S. told its key ally it opposed the bombing campaign there in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, the United Nations’ Human Rights Office called for an investigation into an Israeli air strike that happened on Monday which killed at least 21 people in northern Lebanon, saying it posed “real concerns” because it may have violated international laws governing war.
This comes as a Biden administration official said Israel has assured the U.S. it will not hit nuclear or oil sites when it retaliates against Iran for its missile barrage earlier this month.
However, that does not mean Israel will keep its word. In the past, the country’s track record of sticking to what it tells the U.S. has been mixed.
Just last month, U.S. officials were told by their Israeli counterparts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would welcome a U.S.- and French-led temporary cease-fire initiative in Lebanon, only for Israel to launch a massive airstrike that killed a Hezbollah leader two days later.
Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $15M in baby powder cancer case
A jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $15 million to a Connecticut man who says he developed a rare form of cancer after using the company’s baby powder for decades. The man says he contracted mesothelioma from inhaling the talc powder.
The jury also said Johnson & Johnson should pay additional punitive damages, which will be determined later by the judge overseeing the case.
After the ruling, Johnson & Johnson’s vice president of litigation said the company will be appealing the decision, saying “erroneous” rulings by the judge kept the jury from hearing critical facts about the case.
Tom Brady approved to become minority owner of Raiders
Tom Brady has been called many names: the GOAT, Super Bowl champion, and NFL commentator, to name a few. Now, he can add team owner to that list.
On Tuesday, NFL team owners voted to approve Brady’s purchase of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The former NFL quarterback said in a statement he is eager to contribute to the Raiders organization in any way.
Because of his new title, Brady faces some restrictions in his other role as a Fox broadcaster, including being barred from weekly production meetings with the players and coaches in the games he will cover.
Majority of Americans worried over social media censorship ahead of election
A majority of Americans are worried that social media companies are censoring content related to the 2024 election, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voter’s Voice survey found that 61% of likely voters are concerned about censorship on platforms like Facebook and Google as Election Day approaches.
The poll, which surveyed 2,290 likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.1%, revealed that men (64%) are slightly more concerned than women (57%).
The data also showed significant concern among racial groups, with 66% of Hispanic voters and 62% of white voters expressing worry. Meanwhile, 44% of Black voters shared concerns.
Getty Images
Republicans are leading the charge in raising alarms, with 78% expressing concern, compared to just 43% of Democrats. However, 61% of independents — a key swing voting group — said they were also worried about censorship.
These concerns are being fueled by recent revelations. In August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted to Congress that his company had bowed to government pressure to censor content during the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similar scrutiny has been directed at Google, which faced backlash for allegedly manipulating search results related to past presidents, though the company has denied intentional censorship.
The poll highlights growing distrust of tech platforms in political spaces, with voters fearing that vital information may be hidden in the final weeks of the election cycle.
As social media plays an increasingly central role in shaping political discourse, concerns about how these platforms moderate content could become a deciding factor in the 2024 presidential race.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson sues CNN, alleges defamation
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, R, also the state’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, is suing CNN for $50 million for defamation. The lawsuit stems from CNN’s report that claimed Robinson made racist and sexually depraved comments on a pornography message board more than a decade ago.
The CNN report detailed Robinson allegedly referring to himself as a “Black Nazi” who wanted to reinstate slavery and described spying on women in showers.
Robinson denied the report, calling it “salacious tabloid trash.”
In the days following the report, several of Robinson’s campaign staffers resigned, and Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, distanced himself from Robinson after previously endorsing him.
Robinson’s polling numbers soon collapsed, with a poll from High Point University putting him ahead of his opponent, Democrat and current North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, by 5% back in May. Now, according to RealClearPolitics, Robinson sits over 15 percentage points behind his election opponent.
In the lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court, Robinson claims CNN’s report was a “coordinated attack aimed at derailing his campaign for governor, and has already inflicted immeasurable harm to his family, his reputation and his good name.”
DOJ sues Virginia for purging voter rolls too close to Election Day
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is responding after the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the state over its removal of individuals lacking proof of citizenship from voter rolls. This case adds to a growing national debate on how to conduct secure elections while ensuring eligible voters can easily participate.
In August 2024, Gov. Youngkin directed the election commissioner to regularly update the state’s voter lists to remove individuals identified as noncitizens. Those individuals are notified and given a 14-day window to provide proof of citizenship. If they fail to do so, they are removed from the rolls.
The DOJ claims Virginia is violating the National Voter Registration Act, which prohibits voter roll maintenance within 90 days of an election. The department is seeking a court order to restore voting rights to those affected.
Youngkin has labeled the lawsuit an “unprecedented” attack, asserting that the state is “appropriately enforcing Virginia law.” It remains unclear how many people have been removed from voter rolls since Youngkin’s executive order in August.
From 2022 to July 2024, more than 6,000 individuals without citizenship proof were removed based on their responses to citizenship questions at the DMV. The exact number of noncitizens among them is unknown.
There has been a push by Republican-led states to vet their voter rolls for noncitizens. For instance, Texas removed 6,500 noncitizens from its rolls since 2021, and Alabama identified over 3,000 individuals on its voter rolls with noncitizen identification numbers. The DOJ has also sued Alabama for conducting similar removals within 90 days of an election.
Joe Rogan podcast could be next campaign stop for Trump, Harris
The next media stop for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump could be “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The show is the No. 1 podcast in the country, attracting tens of millions of people.
While appearing on the “Full Send Podcast” hosted by the Nelk Boys, a group of YouTube pranksters turned podcasters, Trump suggested a future stop on Rogan’s program is in the works.
Sources told Reuters that Vice President Kamala Harris could also soon sit down with Rogan. Reuters reports that members of Harris’ campaign met with Rogan’s team but no official appearance has been scheduled.
According to data from Spotify, which inked a reported $250 million deal earlier this year to distribute “The Joe Rogan Experience,” the podcast has 14.5 million followers, almost triple the second most popular program on the platform.
Rogan himself has been outspoken in the past when it comes to both candidates. In 2022, he told another podcast that he was not a Trump supporter and declined opportunities to have him on his show.
In August, Trump called out Rogan on his Truth Social platform, saying the UFC commentator would get booed next time he entered the octagon.
As for Harris, Rogan said she was better prepared for last month’s presidential debate, but later admitted having concerns a Harris presidency would lead to more online censorship.
An appearance on Rogan’s podcast would fall in line with both candidates’ plans to reach young voters.
Former President Trump has recently been a guest on a series of podcasts that cater to a young audience, especially males. Trump has made stops on podcasts hosted by YouTuber Logan Paul, comedian Theo Von and video game streamer Adin Ross.
Harris meanwhile was recently a guest on the podcast “Call Her Daddy” which has a majority female audience. She’ll reach out to Black voters during a town hall appearance Tuesday, Oct. 15, with radio personality and podcaster Charlamagne tha God.
A recent Harvard Youth Poll showed 70% of women under the age of 30 support Harris, while 23% back Trump. For men under 30, 53% said they are likely to vote for Harris while 36% said Trump.
Majority of voters want to see CBS transcript of Harris interview: Poll
About 85% of Americans want CBS to release the full transcript of Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent interview on “60 Minutes.” According to a new Harvard poll, more than half of Americans believe CBS edited the interview to present Harris in a more favorable light.
Calls for transparency have gained bipartisan support, with 87% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans and 80% of independents wanting to see or read the unedited version of the interview.
Former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge, who conducted the 2020 interview with Trump, is among those urging her former network to treat Harris’ interview similarly and release the transcript.
NEW CONTEXT:
As Trump campaign calls on @60Minutes to release “full, unedited transcript” of Kamala Harris interview…
There is precedent.
When I interviewed then President Trump in July 2020 @CBSNews we posted the interview transcript.
Despite the growing push for transparency, CBS has not indicated whether it will release the “60 Minutes” transcript and has not commented on the edited answers from Harris.
Senate race in Texas tightens as balance of power teeters
With the general election just three weeks away, the balance of power in the U.S. Senate will be a key theme on election night. The upper chamber is currently a 51-49 split, with races potentially benefitting either side of the aisle.
Republicans are counting on pickups in West Virginia and Montana to change those numbers. In fact, RealClearPolitics is forecasting that Republicans will take control of the Senate after the election by a similar 51-49 margin.
However, there is a developing political situation in Texas. Two-term Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is locked in a very tight race with Democrat Colin Allred. Allred is a former NFL football player who is now a civil rights lawyer.
Politico reported that internal Republican polling shows Cruz is up by just one point.
Democrats are now pouring money into the state, hoping to boost Allred’s chances. Cruz recently told Fox News, Democrats are coming after him with all they have.
In addition, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was recently in Texas, campaigning for Allred. He told supporters if Allred wins, it would give Democrats a chance to control the Senate and pass legislation that benefits working people.
Cruz and Allred are slated to debate tonight in Dallas. The Cook Political Report recently moved the race from likely Republican to lean Republican, making the final three weeks extremely pivotal.
