News From Around the Web
#10 Nicolás Maduro Declared Winner in Venezuela’s Presidential Election as Opposition Claims Irregularities - Associated Press, and Bonchie, Liz Churchill, and Collin Rugg on X
Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner in Venezuela’s presidential election Sunday, even as his opponents were preparing to dispute the results, setting up a high-stakes showdown that will determine whether the South American nation transitions away from one-party rule. Shortly after midnight, the National Electoral Council said Maduro secured 51% of the vote, overcoming opposition candidate Edmundo González, who garnered 44%. It said the results were based on a tally of 80% of voting stations, marking an irreversible trend...
#9 No Tax On Tips - Be Careful What You Wish For - Peter J Reilly for Forbes, and Thomas Massie on X
Donald Trump, our once and possibly future President, has been speaking about his idea to eliminate taxes on tips. He got the idea from a very intelligent waitress in a restaurant in one of the Trump buildings. The idea is part of the Republican Party platform for 2024. "Republicans will make permanent the provisions of the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that doubled the standard deduction, expanded the Child Tax Credit, and spurred Economic Growth for all Americans. We will eliminate Taxes on Tips for millions of Restaurant and Hospitality Workers, and pursue additional Tax Cuts".#8 Florida Judge Permanently Blocks Workplace-Training Portion of Desantis’s Stop Woke Act - David Zimmermann for National Review and Jamie RJN, and WFLA News on X
A federal judge in Florida on Friday permanently blocked a key part of Governor Ron DeSantis’s anti-woke legislation that would have banned diversity- and race-related training in private workplaces. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida chief judge Mark Walker granted a permanent injunction striking down the law’s workplace provisions over First Amendment violations pertaining to free speech. Walker, an Obama-appointed judge, ruled in August 2022 that the law was unconstitutional and temporarily blocked it. His previous decision was upheld by an appeals court in March, prompting the judge to issue a permanent injunction.
#7 Harris Raised $200 Million in First Week of White House Campaign and Signed Up 170,000 Volunteers - Aamer Madhanibill Barrow for Associated Press, and Truth Now, and Newsmax on X
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has raised $200 million since she emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee last week, an eyepopping haul in her race against the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. The campaign, which announced its latest fundraising total on Sunday, said the bulk of the donations — 66% — comes from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle and were made after President Joe Biden announced his exit from the race and endorsed Harris. Over 170,000 volunteers have also signed up to help the Harris campaign with phone banking, canvassing, and other get-out-the-vote efforts. Election Day is 100 days away...
#6 Netflix Battling Boycott Calls After Co-founder Gifts Harris $7 Million - Luke Gentile for Washington Examiner, and Bill Collier Jr., and John Basham on X
Streaming giant Netflix is battling calls for a boycott after it was reported that co-founder Reed Hastings donated upwards of $7 million to a PAC supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the White House. The contribution is the largest single donation to a campaign that Hastings, the executive chairman of Netflix, has ever made, according to the report. The move appears to have been inspired by President Joe Biden's June debate debacle against former President Donald Trump. "After the depressing debate, we are in the game again," Hastings told the Information in an article published Tuesday. Social media was quick to react to Hastings's gift to Harris, and many are calling on the platform to suffer a boycott...
#5 Biden Rolls Out Plan to Overhaul the Supreme Court - Rebecca Picciotto for CNBC and Karli Bonne, and Keith Boykin on X
President Joe Biden on Monday unveiled a three-pronged proposal to reform the Supreme Court, a policy area that he said will be a focus of his remaining months in office. Biden is calling for term limits on Supreme Court justices, a binding ethics code and a constitutional amendment declaring that presidents do not have immunity from criminal prosecution for any crimes committed while in office. That proposed amendment, titled the “No One Is Above the Law Amendment,” responds to the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling earlier in July that declared former President Donald Trump immune from criminal prosecution for “official acts” he committed as president...
#4 Olympics Pre-race Triathlon Event in Seine River Canceled Over Water Quality Concerns - Kate Brumback for Associated Press, and Steve Milloy and Kafir on X
The swimming portion of a practice run for the Olympic triathlon was canceled Sunday because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River, but Paris officials said they're confident that triathletes will be able to swim in the city's famed waterway during the actual events this coming week. The men's triathlon is scheduled for Tuesday, while the women are set to compete Wednesday. The triathletes were supposed to have a chance to familiarize themselves with the course Sunday, but organizers said they nixed the swimming leg after representatives of World Triathlon, city and regional authorities, and other decision-makers met to discuss water quality tests...
#3 A Manipulated Video Shared by Musk Mimics Harris’ Voice, Raising Concerns About AI in Politics - Ali Swenson for Associated Press, and Ken Bensinger, Breitbart News, and Elon Musk on X
A manipulated video that mimics the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris saying things she did not say is raising concerns about the power of artificial intelligence to mislead with Election Day about three months away. The video gained attention after tech billionaire Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform X on Friday evening without explicitly noting it was originally released as parody. The video uses many of the same visuals as a real ad that Harris, the likely Democratic president nominee, released last week launching her campaign. But the video swaps out the voice-over audio with another voice that convincingly impersonates Harris...
#2 Leftists March With Communist Flags in Philadelphia as US Struggles to Defend Democratic Values - Tarun Mishra for Business Today, and End Wokeness and Tara Bull on X
On Sunday, the newly-formed Revolutionary Communists of America (RCA) held their inaugural Congress in Philadelphia, marking the establishment of their American chapter of the Revolutionary Communists coordination, a global movement active in multiple countries. Following the Congress, approximately 500 RCA members marched through Philadelphia streets, displaying red flags adorned with the hammer and sickle symbol. The demonstration garnered widespread attention on social media, including condemnation from high-profile figures such as Elon Musk, CEO of X and Tesla. Musk, with an estimated net worth of $238 billion according to Forbes, shared one of the protest videos with an exclamation mark, underscoring his disapproval.
#1 PA Teacher's Union Allegedly Laundered $1.5 Million for Shapiro '22 Campaign - Wendi Strauch Mahoney for UncoverDC, and Teacher Freedom Summit and Julia on X
A July 24, 2024, Freedom Foundation press release reveals the organization filed three complaints against the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) for allegedly laundering member dues to "bankroll Josh Shapiro's 2022 candidacy." The complaints allege the "Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) executed an illegal scheme during the 2022 Pennsylvania general election to surreptitiously use nearly $1.5 million in teachers' union dues to back then-candidate Josh Shapiro's gubernatorial campaign." The allegations are of particular interest given that Shapiro may well be the chosen running mate for Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election...And Now for Something Special 
Mattel Introduces Two First-Of-Their-Kind Inclusive Barbie Dolls: See the New Additions - Mary Walrath-Holdridge for USA Today, and Sierra Fox, and First Post on X
Barbie has announced two new additions to its growing line of diverse and inclusive dolls: a blind Barbie and the first Black Barbie with Down syndrome. Mattel announced the two new dolls on Tuesday as part of Barbie's 2024 Fashionistas Line, an inclusive range of dolls with over 175 varieties of skin tone, eye color, hair color and texture, body types, disabilities, and fashions. The line has represented different disabilities and appearances in the past, releasing Barbies and Kens with mobility aids like wheelchairs and braces, dolls with hearing aids, hair loss, and vitiligo. Last year's line welcomed the first-ever Barbie with Down syndrome.
