House GOP celebrates ‘big win’ after preventing creation of new global advertising coalition
The House Judiciary Committee celebrated a “big win” this week after a Japanese company said it would not pursue a plan that would reorganize or create a new version of an advertising association that allegedly engaged in censorship and boycotts of conservative media companies. “Following the Committee’s inquiry into Dentsu potentially creating the new ‘GARM,’ Dentsu expresses to the committee that it WILL NOT pursue the ‘Dentsu Coalition’ initiative,” the committee said. “They will not pursue any other effort with similar aims.” ELON MUSK’S X FILES ANTITRUST LAWSUIT AGAINST WORLDWIDE ADVERTISING GROUP The committee touted it as a “BIG WIN!” in a post on X. The committee first began investigating the World Federation of Advertisers and its Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) initiative. Dentsu was a founding member. The committee found “collusive activity” of GARM, and it was ultimately disbanded. When operational, GARM was an association of advertisers, advertising agencies, online platforms and advertising tech companies that publicly said they were creating standards for media advertising. But privately, the House Judiciary Committee revealed, GARM was discussing ways to ensure conservative news outlets and platforms could not receive advertising dollars and were engaged in boycotts of conservative voices and Twitter once it became “X” under the ownership of Elon Musk. Musk and video-sharing platform Rumble ultimately sued GARM for illegally boycotting companies, including X. Shortly after, it was disbanded. The House Judiciary Committee this month sent a letter to Japanese company Dentsu as part of its oversight of the adequacy and enforcement of U.S. antitrust laws. The committee then learned Dentsu was beginning the process of starting a new coalition — the Dentsu Coalition — of the world’s largest marketers with “striking similarities to GARM.” The Dentsu Coalition was expected to be “aimed at fostering substantial and sustainable investments in credible news.” Dentsu, though, replied this week, vowing to stop its reorganization. WHAT IS GARM? ‘COLLUSIVE’ AD GROUP ALLEGEDLY TARGETING CONSERVATIVES FACES GRILLING FROM TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE “Dentsu appreciates the opportunity to allay any concerns that the recently announced research project with The 614 Group gives rise to any anticompetitive issues, constitutes any kind of effort to revive the now-disbanded Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), or was intended to do anything other than promote all forms of journalism,” general counsel of Dentsu, Susan Zoch, wrote to committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “Recognizing the confusion that has surfaced surrounding the initiative, Dentsu has elected not to pursue the initiative referred to as the ‘Dentsu Coalition’ and further not to pursue any effort with similar aims,” Zoch said. Zoch said the “goal” of researching the new project was to “provide insights for advertisers and the full spectrum of the news industry on how best to optimize their ad spend in news and the potential for increased ad spend in news.” “From Dentsu’s perspective, the success of the initiative depended on the support (financially or otherwise) of all stakeholders in news — advertisers and all facets of the publishing industry,” Zoch wrote. “To be clear, Dentsu did not intend or understand that the initiative would replace or succeed GARM,” she continued, saying public reporting on its initiative was “mischaracterized.”
Early voting data may be sign of improved GOP ground game in pivotal swing state: expert
The critical swing state of Michigan has seen record-breaking early voting numbers so far, with data on Republican turnout improved significantly over 2020 in what could be a good sign for former President Trump and Republicans, one expert says. “The numbers we are seeing out of Michigan are encouraging for Republicans across the board,” Jimmy Keady, the founder and president of JLK Political Strategies, a Republican consulting firm, told Fox News Digital. Keady’s comments come as over 1.2 million voters in Michigan have already cast a ballot in this year’s election, according to data on the Michigan Department of State’s dashboard, taking advantage of either early voting and mail-in balloting while shattering the previous record for early ballot returns in the state. While early voting data can give a look at what party a voter is registered to, it doesn’t necessarily mean that voter chose the candidate affiliated with that party in this election. The data also comes two weeks before Election Day, with plenty of time for trends to shift between now and Nov. 5. TRADITIONALLY DEM LEADERS IN KEY MICHIGAN VOTING BLOC DITCH HARRIS, ENDORSE TRUMP Roughly 17% of the state’s over 7 million registered voters have already returned a ballot, the data shows, with another roughly 1 million requested absentee ballots yet to be returned. While Michigan does not publicly track party registration like some states, data provided on NBC News by Target Smart estimates that 53% of ballots returned so far in Michigan have been from Democrats, while 37% have been from Republicans and 10% from “other.” But according to Keady, those numbers show improved Republican turnout, a welcome sign for a Trump campaign hopeful to bank votes ahead of Election Day itself. “While Democrats are maintaining their lead in ballot chasing, Republicans are not far behind, and they are outperforming previous election cycles,” Keady said, noting that it will still be “hard to say what impact these numbers will have on the outcome.” “What we are seeing on the ground is that Republicans are actively drawing out more low propensity voters than Democrats,” Keady added. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING Over 21.5 million mail-in and early in-person votes have already been cast nationwide as of Wednesday, the Target Smart data shows, with 45% of those coming from Democrats, 38% of Republicans, and 17% from other voters. Keady believes two key states to watch will be Michigan and Nevada, another of the seven swing states, where straight ticket voting could play a critical role in down-ballot races. “A key aspect of this election cycle will be straight ticket voting,” Keady said. “Nevada and Michigan are the only two swing states – and two out of seven states nationally — that allow straight ticket voting. In places like Michigan where the top of the ticket is outperforming down-ballot races, there is a good chance that straight ticket voting will help Senate, Congressional, and statewide races.” Keady also warned against reading too much into the partisan advantage for Democrats, noting that many of Trump’s supporters are likely to be union voters who traditionally have supported Democrats but will support Trump in 2024. “It’s important to remember the impact union voters will have on this election,” Keady said. “Many union members are registered Democrats. Without the union support for Harris, there are going to be a lot of disenchanted union members that switch their votes this year for Republicans.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Cyclone Dana trains cancelled: Over 300 trains cancelled, check full list here
The South Eastern Railway division has called off more than 150 express and passenger trains, including the Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express, and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express.
Playing the Hitler card: Will Trump backers dismiss John Kelly’s attack?
Earlier this year, there was some media chatter about when the Biden campaign would go “full Hitler.” What that meant was, if they started talking about Donald Trump and the Nazi leader so early, what ammunition would they have left for October? VIDEO SHOWS DEM-ALIGNED INDIVIDUAL FIDGETING WITH MONTANA BALLOT BOX Well, it’s late October, and the Hitler assault has begun. It’s not like no one has heard this before. Trump’s detractors across the media landscape have periodically compared him to Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. Magazines have depicted him with a little mustache. He’s been dismissed as an aspiring dictator who would blow up American democracy, with few of the guardrails that constrained him in his first term. But now we have John Kelly, his second chief of staff, denouncing his ex-boss in a series of three on-the-record interviews with the New York Times, which were recorded and posted on the paper’s site. Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general who lost a son in Afghanistan, said he was going public because he was disturbed by Trump’s attacks on “the enemy within,” which, as the former president told me in our weekend interview, included Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi. And Kelly was equally concerned that he might use the military against Americans. Kelly says in the Times audio that Trump meets his definition of a fascist. And in the context of wanting his generals (such as Kelly and Pentagon chief Jim Mattis) to be personally loyal to him, “He commented more than once that, ‘You know, Hitler did some good things, too.’” KAMALA HARRIS’ CLOSING MESSAGE IS UNCLEAR, DONALD TRUMP DOMINATES MEDIA BY GOING OFF SCRIPT Kelly says he told the president “you should never say that” and explained some of the history of Nazi Germany. (Hitler’s generals tried to kill him more than once.) The general also said that Trump referred to soldiers as “losers” and “suckers” and could not understand their sacrifice. If this and other passages sound familiar, it’s because it’s been previously reported in the Atlantic and elsewhere, rather obviously with Kelly as a background source. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung fired back, saying the former official was offering “debunked stories,” had “beclowned” himself and was suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. My question is this: Are John Kelly’s comments going to change the mind of any Trump voters? They may dismiss the comments as old news. Or say Trump didn’t really mean it, he was just letting off steam. Or question Kelly’s motivation in going public in the final stretch of the campaign. CBS NEWS GAVE A ‘PATHETIC RESPONSE’ TO DECEITFUL EDITING ACCUSATIONS: HOWARD KURTZ It’s not that I’m defending the comments as reported by Kelly, who’s free to say what he wants. I have absolutely nothing good to say about Hitler or the Nazis. I don’t agree with everything Trump says, just as I don’t agree with everything Kamala Harris says. But how many Trump voters, having lived through nine years of media attacks on the 45th president, having watched the violence of Jan. 6, are going to abandon him now? The answer, in my view, is very few. Still, it gave the vice president an opening, since yesterday’s bombshell was detonated by a man who was the highest-ranking staffer in the Trump White House. She read a statement to reporters in Washington without taking questions: “It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler, the man who is responsible for the deaths of 6 million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Americans. All of this is further evidence for the American people of who Donald Trump really is,” Harris said. I once had a candid chat with Kelly at a White House media party, and when I looked up 10 other reporters had surrounded us, straining to hear what the man who kept a low profile with the press had to say. At the time, the former Homeland Security secretary was being touted as the guy who’d bring military discipline to a chaotic White House after Reince Priebus was let go. Now the “full Hitler” moment has arrived. Whether it has much impact on a candidate who has survived two impeachments, the fallout after Jan. 6 and two assassination attempts is, at the very least, in doubt.
Want to know who will win the US election? Take a look at the stock market
Want to know who will win the United States presidential election? Take a look at the stock market. Of course, there is no crystal ball to tell us who will prevail on November 5. The polls, as much as they can be trusted, show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump running neck and neck in what many observers believe could be the closest election in decades. Even so, the performance of US stocks has an uncanny track record of predicting the outcome of presidential elections. Since 1928, the S&P 500 – which tracks the performance of 500 of the largest firms listed in the US – has pointed to the winner in 20 out of 24 elections, according to an analysis by financial services company LPL Financial. When US stocks were up during the three months before election day, the incumbent party kept the White House on 12 out of 15 occasions. And the party in power lost eight out of the last nine times that the market was in negative territory leading up to the vote. It is not a bad track record as forecasting models go. With less than two weeks until the election, the S&P 500 is up a healthy 11.8 percent since early August. Assuming US stocks do not take a dramatic tumble in the final days of the campaign, the historical trend clearly favours Harris. However, caveats abound. Unfortunately for Harris, voters do not appear to associate the stock market’s strong performance with the economy doing well. While an estimated 61 percent of Americans own shares, a large segment of voters has no exposure to the market. In an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released this week, 62 percent of registered voters, including overwhelming majorities of Republicans and independents, rated the state of the economy as “bad”. On the plus side for Harris, voters expressed growing confidence in the Democrat’s ability to handle economic issues, suggesting that Trump’s once-clear advantage on the economy has all but disappeared. The prevailing gloom is despite the fact that, by most metrics, including gross domestic product (GDP) growth and the unemployment rate, the US economy is performing at a level that would be the envy of most developed countries. One of the most plausible and frequently offered reasons for the negative sentiment is that consumers are weary of higher prices – even though inflation, which last month fell to 2.4. percent, is now close to the Federal Reserve’s target after surging during the COVID-19 pandemic. While wages have been growing faster than inflation for well over a year, they have still not grown enough to fully offset the rise in the cost of living since the pandemic. Whereas prices rose about 20 percent between January 2021 and June of this year, wages only increased 17.4 percent, according to an analysis by Bankrate using Department of Labor statistics. Although wage growth has continued to beat inflation since then – coming in at 4.2 percent versus 2.6 percent during July-September – Bankrate predicts that the post-pandemic gap will not fully close until the second quarter of 2025. No matter how many positive economic statistics are rolled out to tout the current administration’s record, consumers are reminded that prices for everyday items cost considerably more than they used to every time they are at the supermarket checkout. Another good reason to be cautious about reading too much into the stock market’s predictive powers is that we appear to be living in an era of politics that does not follow any rulebook. Much as his 2016 victory smashed numerous precedents, Trump’s very place on the Republican ticket, in spite of four criminal indictments, numerous scandals and years of negative media coverage, is a challenge to conventional wisdom. Indeed, the last time the S&P 500 failed to predict the next occupant of the White House was the most recent election. After presiding over a 2.3 percent market gain, Trump lost to President Joe Biden. Adblock test (Why?)
Boeing workers vote to reject wage deal, extend strike
Nearly two-thirds of workers reject offer that includes a 35 percent pay rise. Boeing workers on the West Coast of the United States have voted to reject the aircraft giant’s latest contract offer and extend their nearly six-week strike. Nearly two-thirds of workers rejected the offer, which included a 35 percent wage rise over four years but did not restore a defined pension plan sought by many employees, the Seattle branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union said on X. IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said the union had made “tremendous gains” in negotiations but had not gone far enough to meet members’ demands. “Senior members with decades of experience, new members with a few months, and members from different backgrounds all stood together to support each other. I’m proud of you and your strength,” Holden said in a statement. “This membership will continue to stand on the line, picketing for the contract they deserve. There is much more to do, and we will work to get back to the bargaining table. Our members’ voices will be heard.” About 33,000 workers have been on strike since mid-September when union members overwhelmingly rejected Boeing’s proposal for a new four-year contract. The industrial action has brought operations to a halt at two Boeing factories in the Seattle area that produce the 737 Max and 777, depriving the company of much-needed cash from its aviation business. The union vote is another blow to Boeing after a difficult year that has thrust longstanding concerns about safety and quality standards at the aircraft maker into view. The company has been under investigation by multiple agencies since an incident in January in which a 737 Max plane operated by Alaska Airlines lost a door panel while in mid-flight. On Wednesday, the company reported a third-quarter loss of more than $6bn. Boeing stock dropped 1.76 percent after the latest results, adding to a slump that has seen its share price fall nearly 38 percent so far this year. Adblock test (Why?)
2024 MLS Cup: Playoffs, schedule, brackets, Messi, teams, players, final
EXPLAINER What’s the difference between the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup? Which teams have qualified? Al Jazeera explains. The 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) season in North America is heading towards its conclusion, with the region’s top club football teams vying for a chance to lift the coveted MLS Cup. The 2024 tournament is expected to attract a wider global audience with the inclusion of football icon Lionel Messi’s team, Inter Miami, who have qualified for the playoffs for the first time. Here’s everything you need to know about the MLS Cup: How does the MLS season work? The 29 MLS teams are divided into two conferences – eastern and western – and play a series of home and away matches in a league format, known as the regular season. The team at the top of the league at the end of the regular season is awarded the Supporters’ Shield – won by Messi’s Inter Miami in 2024 – and the league then moves towards the MLS Cup. What’s the MLS Cup and what’s its format? Known as the pinnacle of the North American football season, the MLS Cup crowns the MLS champion after a series of knockout games – known in North American sports as playoffs. The top seven teams from each conference automatically make it to the playoffs. The eighth club in each conference is determined through a wildcard playoff between the next two sides in each conference, respectively. How do the MLS Cup Playoffs work? The playoffs are played by conference and the eastern and western winners then meet for the MLS Cup final at the end of the season. In the quarterfinals of each conference, teams must win a best-of-three series of matches to advance. There are no aggregate scores and no ties at that stage. The team that finishes higher in the league hosts the first match. In the case of a draw, the game goes directly to penalty kicks – no extra time. The conference semifinals, finals and MLS Cup final return to the single-game format with possible extra time before penalties. These games will be hosted by the higher-seeded club. What’s the schedule of MLS Cup Playoffs? First round (best of three series): Saturday, October 26 to Sunday, November 10 Conference semifinals: Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24 Conference finals: Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1 Final: Saturday, December 7 Which teams are in the MLS Cup Playoffs? Eastern Conference: Inter Miami Atlanta United Orlando City Charlotte FC FC Cincinnati New York Red Bulls NYCFC Columbus Crew Western Conference: LA Galaxy LAFC Seattle Sounders Houston Dynamos Colorado Rapids Real Salt Lake Minnesota United Vancouver Whitecaps FC Who are the five top players to watch in the MLS Cup 2024? Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): 20 goals, 16 assists Luis Suarez (Inter Miami): 20 goals, 9 assists Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati): 14 goals, 19 assists Denis Bouanga (LA FC): 20 goals, 11 assists Cucho Hernandez (Columbus Crew): 19 goals, 14 assists How have the teams been drawn in the MLS Cup Playoffs bracket? The draw for the eight best-of-three quarterfinal games looks like this: Eastern bracket: Inter Miami vs Atlanta United Orlando City vs Charlotte FC FC Cincinnati vs NYCFC Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls Western bracket: LAFC vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC Seattle Sounders vs Houston Dynamos Real Salt Lake vs Minnesota United LA Galaxy vs Colorado Rapids Need a goal or assist? Messi led the way. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/EfIgIO94hM — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 22, 2024 ‘Transformational’ moment: Lionel Messi set for Inter Miami debut What’s the venue of the 2024 MLS Cup final? By winning the Supporters’ Shield, Inter Miami have won the right to host the final as long as they remain in contention for the title-deciding match. Should Miami get knocked out before the final, the team with the next best in-season [league] record that remains in the MLS Cup will host the final. Will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami in the MLS Cup Playoffs? The Argentinian superstar has been in scintillating goal-scoring form for Inter Miami since his return from injury and is expected to lead them in the best-of-three knockout games against Atlanta United. What’s ‘Messi Cam’ and how I can watch it? While on the field playing during Miami’s MLS Cup games, the forward will wear a special camera on his shirt, which will relay his every move on a TikTok livestream on the MLS and Inter Miami channels. Adblock test (Why?)
J-K: CCTV grab of Pheran-clad terrorist allegedly involved in Gagangir attack emerges, probe underway
The sources said such rifles have been reportedly used by terrorists in attacks on security forces in the Pir Panjal region, which is about 200 km from the site of the attack.
Delhi Air Pollution October 24: AQI remains in ‘very poor’ category for third straight day, slips to 340
The previous day, October 23, Delhi registered the worst air quality in India, with several areas reaching ‘severe’ pollution levels, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board.
‘Admires dictators’: Harris continues comparing Trump to Hitler during battleground state town hall
Vice President Kamala Harris joined CNN in Pennsylvania for a town hall with undecided voters on Wednesday, where the Democratic presidential nominee doubled down on her rhetoric comparing former President Donald Trump to Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler. “If the president of the United States, the commander in chief, is saying to his generals, in essence, ‘Why can’t you be more like Hitler’s generals?’ Anderson, come on. This is a serious, serious issue. And we know who he is. He admires dictators, sending love letters back and forth with Kim Jong-Un,” Harris said of Trump on Wednesday evening in a town hall moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Earlier Wednesday, former Trump administration chief of staff John Kelly claimed to the media that Trump praised “Hitler’s generals” for their loyalty. Harris posted on X that Trump is “out for unchecked power” before also comparing Trump to the Nazi dictator. “Donald Trump is out for unchecked power. He wants a military like Adolf Hitler had, who will be loyal to him, not our Constitution,” Harris posted to X earlier Wednesday. “He is unhinged, unstable, and given a second term, there would be no one to stop him from pursuing his worst impulses.” HARRIS DOUBLES DOWN ON ‘FASCIST’ COMMENTS AT START OF CNN TOWN HALL: ‘UNSTABLE’ Cooper pressed Harris about the rhetoric in his first question to the Democratic nominee on Wednesday evening, sparking Harris to double down and also say she believes that Trump is a “fascist.” “You quoted General Milley calling Donald Trump a fascist. You, yourself, have not used that word to describe him. Let me ask you tonight, do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?” Cooper asked Harris towards the start of the town hall. “Yes, I do. Yes, I do,” Harris responded. Harris’ comments come after Trump survived two assassination attempts on his life since July. Trump has blamed the attacks on heated rhetoric from Democrats. HARRIS LIKENS TRUMP TO HITLER IN SCATHING REMARKS, SAYS HE WANTS SAME MILITARY LOYALTY AS GERMAN DICTATOR Harris spoke directly to the undecided battleground state voters during the live town hall Wednesday, including telling one voter that if she wins on Nov. 5, her administration will be different than Biden’s. “Considering you’ve been in the position of vice president for the past four years under the Biden administration, how can we expect you to deviate from the direction of that administration compared to your own? How can we differentiate your policy and your beliefs from that of Biden’s?” the audience member asked Harris. Harris, who has previously said while on the campaign trail that she couldn’t think of anything she would have done differently from Biden, said Wednesday that her administration would be different than Biden’s leadership. HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: NEW NATIONAL POLL SHOWS WHO HAS THE EDGE 2 WEEKS FROM ELECTION DAY “First of all, my administration will not be a continuation of the Biden administration. I bring to this role my own ideas and my own experience. I represent a new generation of leadership on a number of issues, and believe that we have to actually take new approaches,” Harris said. “For example, what we talked about in terms of housing. My experience that leads to that priority, includes what I did to take on the big banks around the foreclosure crisis. When I brought billions of dollars to homeowners that were the subject of predatory lending. I know what homeownership means to the American people, not to mention what it meant to my mother, who worked very hard and saved up, so that by the time I was a teenager, she was able to buy our first home.” The town hall event kicked off at 9 pm on Wednesday from Chester Township, which is located less than 20 miles outside of Philadelphia. The event was held after CNN proposed holding a third presidential debate — including Biden’s first debate before dropping out of the race — on Oct. 23. Harris accepted the invite and Trump declined, leading to the town hall. HARRIS STUMBLES ON THE BORDER WHEN PRESSED ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ‘IS A BORDER WALL STUPID?’ Harris was also pressed about her border and immigration policies, including a bipartisan bill that would provide funding for a border wall that Harris previously lambasted as a “stupid” idea when promoted by Trump during his administration. “Let’s talk about this compromise bill that you want to pass if you are elected. You said that’s going to be a priority. It includes $650 million in funding for the border wall. That’s something Republicans wanted, that was part of the compromise. Under Donald Trump, you criticized the wall more than 50 times. You called it ‘stupid, useless, and a medieval vanity project.’ Is a border wall stupid?,” Cooper asked Harris. “Let’s talk about Donald Trump and that border wall,” Harris said while laughing. “So remember, Donald Trump said Mexico would pay for it. Come on, they didn’t. How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2%. And then when it came time for him to do a photo op, you know, where he did it? In the part of the wall that President Obama built.” “But you agreed to a bill that would earmark $650 million to continue building that wall,” Cooper pressed. “I pledge that I am going to bring forward that bipartisan bill to further strengthen and secure our border. Yes, I am, and I’m going to work across the aisle to pass a comprehensive bill that deals with a broken immigration system,” Harris responded. “We need a president who is grounded in common sense and practical outcomes, like, let’s just fix this thing. Let’s just fix it. Why is there any ideological perspective on this? Let’s just fix the problem,” she continued, adding that non-citizens need to “earn” citizenship. “So you don’t think it’s stupid anymore?” Cooper continued. “I think what he did and how he did it was, did not make