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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/03/trump-maga-allies-election-conspiracy-theories

Several of the speakers who endorsed presidential nominee Kamala Harris at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago were conservative Republicans, including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, ex-Mike Pence national security aide Olivia Troye, and Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles.

Like other pro-Harris Republicans, Giles believes that former President Donald Trump is fundamentally anti-democracy. And the Mesa mayor is warning that Trump and his MAGA allies will fight the election results if Harris wins in November.

The Guardian's Peter Stone, in an article published Tuesday, points to Giles as one of the people who is sounding the alarm about the extremes Trump is willing to go to.

If Trump loses, Giles predicts, MAGA Republicans "will throw everything at the wall and see what sticks."

The Mesa mayor warned, "They'll claim everything went wrong if they lose. I'd be surprised if Trump doesn't try to foment insurrection if he loses the election."

Stone cites Turning Point USA and True the Vote as some of the "MAGA stalwarts" who have been "spreading conspiracy theories about election fraud in order to lay the groundwork for charging the election was rigged if Trump loses."

Former Rep. Dave Trott (R-Michigan) told The Guardian, "Trump continues to encourage his supporters like Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA to question the integrity of our elections. He has no evidence or basis for claiming fraud and is only perpetuating these lies so he has a plan B to disrupt democracy in the event he loses."

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Trump in a flurry of rage admits to a federal judge he is gay and regularly gets fisted by his son, Trump Jr, while giving him anal in the ass. Trump says he regrets nothing and would do it even more if that meant he could have gotten away with his coup on Jan 6
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/03/politics/trump-hush-money-request-federal-court/index.html
Federal judge denies Trump’s request to move hush money case to federal court
A federal judge Tuesday denied Donald Trump’s request to move the New York hush money case to federal court, finding there is nothing in the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling that alters his view of the fact that the payments were “private, unofficial acts.”
Last week, the former president’s attorneys sought to move the state case to federal court, an effort they previously lost, citing the Supreme Court’s decision this summer that granted immunity for some of Trump’s conduct that fell within his official powers. They also urged the judge to postpone Trump’s sentencing, currently set for September 18.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected the long shot bid, saying no facts have changed since he rejected Trump’s attempt to move the case last year. At the time, the judge found that Trump’s reimbursement to Michael Cohen, who facilitated hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, were not official acts he took as president.
“Nothing in the Supreme Court’s opinion affects my previous conclusion that the hush money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority,” Hellerstein wrote in his decision Tuesday.
“Private schemes with private actors, unconnected to any statutory or constitutional authority or function of the executive, are considered unofficial acts,” he wrote.
Trump also claimed the case should be moved to federal court because he alleged Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, is biased against him.
Hellerstein said it was not his place to e

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Black people celebrated the holiday today by lining up to use their personal checking accounts to commit criminal check fraud, apparently thinking they wouldn't be caught.
https://www.newsweek.com/chase-bank-glitch-viral-1947227
https://x.com/scubaryan_/status/1829932871664181596
Chase Bank 'Glitch' Goes Viral
apparent "glitch" at Chase Bank that allowed people to withdraw large amounts of money from their accounts without having the funds has gone viral on social media.

According to social media users, some people exploited a system error to withdraw money after depositing fake checks into their accounts or after applying for large loans at Chase Bank ATMs.

A spokesperson for Chase Bank told Newsweek that the issue has been rectified, and some are now reporting that their accounts have massive negative balances or have had holds put on them.

"We are aware of this incident, and it has been addressed," the spokesperson said. "Regardless of what you see online, depositing a fraudulent check and withdrawing the funds from your account is fraud, plain and simple."

Banks usually take several days to verify checks before making funds available in customers' accounts, but the glitch apparently meant money became available quickly, allowing people to withdraw the funds before the checks were identified as fraudulent.



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James McAvoy Based His ‘Speak No Evil’ Role’s “Toxic Masculinity” On Andrew Tate
By Glenn Garner

September 1, 2024 9:41am

https://deadline.com/2024/09/james-mcavoy-based-speak-no-evil-role-andrew-tate-1236075214/

Although there’s no shortage of toxic masculinity in today’s world, James McAvoy crafted his latest role around a very specific person

The Speak No Evil star revealed that his sinister patriarch character Paddy from James Watkins upcoming Universal remake of the 2022 Danish thriller, which premieres in theaters on Sept. 13, was inspired by Andrew Tate.

“The thing I thought I could exploit in the character was, he thinks he’s a bit of a f— West Country Andrew Tate,” he explained to Empire.

"He’s like, ‘I’m going to teach you what it’s like to be a man again.’ But there’s a sort of polite face on it that isn’t quite Andrew Tate, enough of a sheen of, ‘I’m not one of those guys,'” added McAvoy. “[Paddy’s] challenging you, ‘Do you have a big enough d*** to have a drink with me?’, Or, ‘I’m sorry, this is too much for you because you’re not real enough.'”


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https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/01/musk-twitter-investors-underwater/

When Elon Musk bought Twitter and renamed it X, he didn’t do it alone. Though the billionaire tapped his vast wealth to cover the lion’s share of the $44 billion purchase price in 2022, he also relied on bank loans and a long list of investors, the full extent of which was only recently revealed.
At the time, analysts marveled at Musk’s ability to attract dozens of enthusiastic partners. Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who rolled nearly $2 billion in Twitter stock held by himself and a Saudi holding company into the private deal, tweeted at Musk: “I believe you will be an excellent leader for @Twitter to propel & maximise its great potential.”
Two years later, Alwaleed says he is still happy with his investment. But to others, the deal looks significantly less appealing. Under Musk, X’s valuation has cratered — as Musk has acknowledged — leaving it worth as little as half of what he paid.
Since late last year, Fidelity has consistently valued the X stake in one of its funds 70 percent below the purchase price, a drop in valuation first reported by Axios. Figures released Friday show that Fidelity now values that stake about 72 percent lower than when Musk took over X, taking its overall portion of the company from a valuation of around $316 million to $88 million.
Based on a Washington Post analysis using Fidelity’s estimates, the eight largest initial investments that were reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise publicly disclosed are worth about $5 billion less than when Musk bought X. His and his partners’ overall stake has shed $24 billion in value — a vaporization of wealth that has little parallel outside the realm of economic or industry-specific crashes, or devastating corporate scandals.

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https://www.newsweek.com/quarter-republicans-view-kamala-harris-campaign-positively-poll-1947231

Roughly a quarter of Republicans view Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign positively, according to a new poll.

President Joe Biden dropped out of this year's presidential race on July 21 following weeks of interparty fighting among Democrats on whether he should pass the torch to the next generation after his debate fiasco against former President Donald Trump in late June in Atlanta. Biden also endorsed Harris the day he withdrew from the race.

In an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted from August 23 to 27, 24 percent of Republicans have a positive view of Harris' campaign, while 93 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of independents rate the Democratic presidential nominee's campaign positively.

Meanwhile, 79 percent of Republicans have a positive view of Trump's campaign. The Republican presidential nominee's campaign was also rated positively by 38 percent of independents and 13 percent of Democrats.

Overall, 56 percent of those surveyed think Harris has done an excellent or good job running her campaign while 41 percent say the same for Trump.

The poll's sample is 2,496 adults and consists of 29 percent Democrats, 29 percent Republicans and 30 percent independents. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

In the Silver Bulletin Presidential Model, which was last updated on Saturday afternoon, Harris leads Trump by 1.9 points in Michigan (48.3 to 46.4 percent), by 1.3 points in Pennsylvania (48.2 to 46.9 percent), by 0.9 points in Georgia (48.3 to 47.4 percent), by 3.2 points in Wisconsin (49.4 to 46.2 percent) and by 0.9 points in Nevada (48.6 to 47.7 percent).

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Trump is now pro abortion, pro immigrant, and pro drugs

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-backs-marijuana-legalization-florida-amendment-3-rcna169109

Former President Donald Trump said he expected a ballot measure in Florida to legalize marijuana to pass in a new TruthSocial post.

Trump framed his position as one consistent with his "Make America Safe Again" agenda, writing that criminalizing marijuana would "waste Taxpayer Dollars arresting adults with personal amounts of it on them."

He added, "no one should grieve a loved one because they died from fentanyl laced marijuana. We will make America SAFE again!"

The marijuana ballot measure, if passed, would "allow adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption."

The state Supreme Court ruled in April to allow the measure on the 2024 ballot.

The post came after Trump's campaign had to clarify his stance on another ballot measure in Florida, one that would guarantee a constitutional right to abortion in the state.

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https://www.axios.com/2024/09/01/workers-retire-career-gen-z-millennial

Increasing numbers of older Americans are putting off retirement, creating career ladder gridlock that is impacting younger workers.

Why it matters: As older workers stay in their jobs longer, their Gen Z and Millennial colleagues are often locked into lower-paying, junior-level roles.

State of play: The share of U.S. adults aged 65 and older in the labor market has steadily increased since the late 1980s.

A 2023 retirement confidence survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) found that 33% of workers planned to retire at age 70 or older, or never. That's up from EBRI's 2021 survey, in which 26% of workers said the same thing.
Declining social security benefits and fewer jobs offering pension plans have contributed to a landscape in which most Americans aren't financially on track for retirement.
People generally are living longer and staying healthier as they age. Both play a role in how older workers remain on the job.

The big picture: This has contributed to a "tricky situation" on the career ladder "because there are only so many jobs to go around, especially at the higher levels," Colleen Paulson, a career consultant, told Axios.

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We all know the democrat party is the party of corruption, and the New York Times is now sounding the alarm on Democrat corruption caused by "one-party rule"

Confirming this fact is a damning report by the times showing that nearly 600 public officials in California have been convicted on federal corruption charges in just the last decade.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/us/california-corruption-huizar.html

Prosecutors say that corruption is rising in California cities as one-party rule, inattentive voters and weakened news media have reduced the traditional checks on power.

Jose Huizar’s downfall at Los Angeles City Hall was as stunning as his rise to success, a political tragedy that, like many in the land of dreams, has become a familiar one.
Born to a large family in rural Mexico and raised in poverty near the towering high rises of downtown Los Angeles, he overcame enormous odds to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton University and U.C.L.A. law school.
He returned to his old neighborhood in East Los Angeles to run for the school board and eventually the City Council, where he gained control of the influential committee that approves multimillion-dollar commercial development projects across the city.

His spectacular fall — after F.B.I. agents caught him accepting $1.8 million worth of casino chips, luxury hotel stays, prostitutes and a liquor box full of cash from Chinese developers — was cast by federal prosecutors as an epic Hollywood tale. They persuaded a judge in January to sentence him to 13 years in prison on charges of tax evasion and racketeering.

“He was the King Kong of L.A. City Hall for many, many years,” Mack E. Jenkins, chief of the criminal division at the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, told the court. “And with his fall, a lot of devastation was left in his wake.”

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https://www.reuters.com/technology/brazil-judge-takes-musks-x-fake-news-crusade-ramps-up-2024-08-30/

BRASILIA, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes' decision to shut down billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X is just the latest chapter in a no-holds-barred crusade against attacks on democracy and the political use of disinformation.

"We have a right to defend fundamental rights. Those who violate democracy, who violate fundamental human rights, whether in person or through social media, must be held accountable," Moraes said in a speech on Friday, without mentioning X by name or his decision.

On Friday, Moraes ordered the full and immediate suspension of X in the country until all related court orders on X were complied with, including the payment of fines amounting 18.5 million reais ($3.28 million) and the nomination of a legal representative in Brazil.
Moraes ordered telecomunications regulator Anatel to implement the suspension order, and to confirm to the court within 24 hours that it had carried it out.

Musk, who is also CEO of electric-vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O)
, opens new tab and rocket company SpaceX, had previously denounced the threatened move as censorship.

Moraes, 55, is a lawyer who was tough on fighting crime when he was in charge of public security for the state of Sao Paulo. He shot to prominence in 2019, two years after his appointment to the Supreme Court, when he began to lead an investigation into "fake news" being generated during the government of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.

That investigation, which is still open, focused on what Moraes himself has described as a "cabinet of hate" that operated from inside Bolsonaro's presidential palace with the aim of attacking opponents and spreading lies and distortions.

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Trump's latest attempt to engage in election interfere and censorship has failed as the biopic film about his life will be released before the election.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/donald-trump-biopic-apprentice-release-date-set-ahead-2024-election-rcna168981

A controversial film in which former President Donald Trump is depicted an unflattering light in his early career as a New York real estate mogul has now secured a U.S. distribution deal to be shown in American theaters this fall.

The film "The Apprentice" — which was notably given the same title as the ex-president's reality TV show — debuted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May. And as the film's producers were seeking U.S. distribution, attorneys representing the former president threatened litigation to block the biopic from being shown in a cease-and-desist letter. But now, NBC News is reporting that the film will be released in American movie theaters on October 11 – just weeks before the 2024 election.

In an official statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said the biopic was "pure malicious defamation," and hinted at potential legal action against the producers of "The Apprentice."

“We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers,” Cheung said. “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.”

The source of the controversy surrounding the film is one particular scene in which a younger Trump is shown sexually assaulting his first wife, Ivana, in 1990. The scene stems from a claim she made in their divorce proceedings that Trump raped her. She later walked that statement back in 2015, saying instead that she felt violated in a more general way during their marriage. She passed away in 2022 and was buried on Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey golf course.

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https://www.mediaite.com/news/im-not-ever-taking-responsibility-for-trump-pelosi-tells-bill-maher-she-wasnt-taking-blame-in-new-jan-6-videos/

Comic and political pundit Bill Maher got some pushback when he asked Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) about a newly-surfaced clip from Jan. 7 in which she says “I take responsibility” — and Pelosi told him she’d “never take responsibility for” former President Donald Trump.

CNN obtained previously-unseen footage this week that was shot by documentarian Alexandra Pelosi, expanding on clips that were shown at the January 6 hearings and in a previously-released documentary.

On Friday night’s edition of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Pelosi was Maher’s interview guest, and objected to Maher’s interpretation of a clip in wich Pelosi says “I take responsibility.”

Pelosi explained she was really commenting on Trump:

BILL MAHER: Okay. So there’s some interesting stuff in the book about January 6th.

SPEAKER EMERITA NANCY PELOSI: Yeah.

BILL MAHER: Trump is going to have an award ceremony for the rioters coming out.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/us/pennsylvania-mail-in-ballots.html

Pennsylvania’s two most populous counties cannot throw out otherwise timely and eligible mail-in ballots because they are undated or do not have the correct date on the outer envelope, a state court ruled on Friday.

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, siding with voter advocacy groups, found that tossing ballots because they did not comport with a 2019 law requiring voters to date and sign the outer envelope would violate a State Constitution clause guaranteeing “free and equal elections” and pose a “substantial threat of disenfranchisement.”

The ruling could play a critical role in November in the battleground state, which polls now show to be a tossup between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald J. Trump. Election officials disqualified nearly 16,000 mail-in ballots for irregularities during April’s primary election. Almost half were disqualified because of issues like missing signatures and wrong dates on outer envelopes.

The ruling applies only to Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties. Whether it will extend across the state will most likely depend on county officials and guidance from the office of the secretary of the commonwealth, who leads Pennsylvania’s Department of State.

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Donald Trump gives the game away and confirms he's in favor of a national abortion ban by voting against a women's rights amendment in Florida.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-abortion-florida-six-weeks-ae0ce47cb2af82a6586fa19235ea2226

A day after indicating some support for a referendum to protect abortion rights in Florida, Donald Trump said Friday he’s actually going to vote against it.

“Nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the ninth month,” the Republican presidential nominee told Fox News Friday of the referendum.

If passed, Amendment 4 would amend Florida’s constitution to restore abortion access until fetal viability ― typically around the 6-month mark. Florida currently bans abortion beyond the sixth week of gestation, with limited exceptions.

Abortion late in pregnancy is extremely rare and often happens because the fetus would not survive after birth or because of serious threats to the mother’s health.

Trump, a Florida voter as of 2020, then claimed that blue-state abortion laws allow for the homicide of newborn babies ― a lie he often repeats.

“Some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it where you could actually execute the baby after birth, and all of that stuff is unacceptable,” he said. “So I’ll be voting no for that reason.”

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Who's on the side of workers? It's not Trump and the Republicans, and real American workers know that.

https://www.axios.com/2024/08/29/vance-firefighter-union-speech-walz

Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, was booed by a firefighters union audience before his speech at their conference on Thursday.

Why it matters: Vance's speech in Boston was a day after Democratic VP nominee Gov. Tim Walz appealed to the same crowd as both tickets vie for the holdout labor union's endorsement.

>"Semper fi, guys. Sounds like we've got some fans and some haters," Vance said after he was greeted by a mix of boos and cheers while approaching the podium at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) conference.
>"That's OK, listen to what I have to say here and I'll make my pitch."

Catch up quick: In his Wednesday speech, Walz highlighted the Democratic ticket's record on labor rights.

>Vice President Kamala Harris and Walz have been endorsed by the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
>The IAFF has yet to endorse either candidate, and it's unclear when — or if — they will do so.

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