Latest News

See the latest news and get GPT analysis of articles

Here's what investors are saying about Biden dropping out — and what it means for your 401(k) 2024-07-22 20:33:00+00:00 - What to know about delegates, campaign money as Biden drops out President Biden's exit from the presidential race and move to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic party's candidate has prompted investors and economists to reassess the campaign's impact on everything from the stock market to the so-called "Trump trade." So far, U.S. markets are taking Biden's announcement to leave the campaign in stride, with the broad-based S&P 500 index and the tech-focused Nasdaq both rising in Monday trading, partly as Wall Street had already priced in the likelihood of Biden stepping down. But in the near-term, investors caution there could be more volatility in U.S. markets, especially if the race tightens with a new Democratic candidate. Prior to Biden's Sunday decision, former President Trump had gained an edge in the polls, securing his largest national lead over Biden in the campaign until that point. That tailwind helped spark the Trump trade, which describes a strategy to invest in the assets and stocks that investors believe could profit under a Republican White House, ranging from cryptocurrencies to energy stocks. But now, Wall Street is sizing up the new landscape and examining the economic policies and views of Harris, who has gained support from leading Democrats to replace Biden atop the ticket. A new Democratic presidential candidate could ultimately result in a tighter race than had been predicted prior to Biden's decision, which could spark more volatility across U.S. markets as investors try to gauge which party — and their economic policies — will win out in November, investors said. "U.S. politics will be far more unpredictable for at least the next three months than investors had expected — and this heightened uncertainty is bound to be bearish for most assets, especially those priced for perfection, with valuations that assume predictability in a world where we should expect the unexpected," said Anatole Kaletsky, co-founder and chief economist of investment advisory firm Gavekal, in a research note. Stock market impact In other words, some investors are cautioning that the S&P 500, which has surged 22% in the last 12 months, might face downward pressure due to the fresh unpredictability in the presidential race. "Biden stepping down is a whole new level of political uncertainty. This may be the catalyst for market volatility that is overdue," noted Gina Bolvin, president of Bolvin Wealth Management Group, in an email. Even so, Wall Street's shrug on Monday morning underscores that investors typically rely on key economic data — such as inflation reports and corporate earnings — in deciding where and when to invest, rather than political races. By many measures, the U.S. economy is expected to remain strong in 2024, with Goldman Sachs on Sunday forecasting GDP growth of 2.5% in the second half of 2024, which would put the U.S. on pace to match 2023's growth. The Fed is also widely expected to start cutting interest rates at its September meeting, a step that could help ease borrowing costs for homebuyers and businesses, potentially also spurring investment and spending. "[I]nvestors should remember that U.S. political outcomes are far from the largest driver of financial market returns, or even sector performance," said Solita Marcelli, chief investment officer Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management, in an email. "Economic data and Federal Reserve rate-cut expectations remain at least as important." Trump trade To be sure, many institutional investors are still giving Trump the inside track, regardless of if he runs against Harris or another Democratic opponent. Election odds have dipped slightly for Trump, while Harris' odds have jumped 11 percentage points, although she's still trailing Trump, according to prediction market Polymarket. The new odds have shifted some of investors' focus away from the Trump trade, which appears to be fading in the aftermath of Biden's decision. For instance, with Trump viewed as favorable toward cryptocurrencies, bitcoin had surged more than 50% this year so far. But on Monday, bitcoin prices slid 1.5%, while other cryptocurrencies also lost ground. In recent weeks, "We have seen some rotation toward 'red' sectors and away from 'blue' ones ... as recent momentum has favored the Republican Party," UBS' Marcelli noted. "That could at least partially reverse in the coming days as markets parse the latest developments." What are Harris' economic views? Wall Street is also focusing on Harris' economic views, assessing what her candidacy and a potential White House win could mean for the economy and U.S. markets. She's likely to continue with Biden's policies, including his focus on addressing climate change and scrutinizing anticompetitive practices from big corporations, economists said. Another Democratic administration "would likely continue to support initiatives benefiting green energy, efficiency and electric vehicle makers," Marcelli noted. One major area where Biden and Harris do differ is on trade policy, according to BTIG's Isaac Boltansky in a Monday research report. "In fact, following our survey of policy proposals and numerous contact conversations, the only area of slight departure we could find was on trade policy," Boltansky wrote. Harris, for example, voted against the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) when she served in the Senate. That 2020 trade deal, signed into law by former President Donald Trump, replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with Harris opposing it due to climate concerns. She also opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, a 2016 trade deal, due to similar issues. That could suggest that Harris might prioritize environmental and climate concerns over trade deals, for instance. But "that's what matters most as there are few, if any, policy differences between Biden and Harris," Boltansky noted.

How Trump beat a motion to dismiss his Pulitzer defamation claim 2024-07-22 20:31:35+00:00 - Donald Trump has won a court battle in his defamation lawsuit against members and staff of the Pulitzer Prize Board, a lawsuit stemming from an award given to The New York Times and The Washington Post for stories about Russia and his 2016 campaign. The former president has alleged that board members and staff conspired to publish a defamatory statement in 2022 affirming the veracity of the newspapers’ prize-winning journalism. The Florida state judge’s decision denied the defense motion to dismiss Trump’s complaint, which lets the case move forward. Here’s the 2022 Pulitzer statement at issue: The Pulitzer Prize Board has an established, formal process by which complaints against winning entries are carefully reviewed. In the last three years, the Pulitzer Board has received inquiries, including from former President Donald Trump, about submissions from The New York Times and The Washington Post on Russian interference in the U.S. election and its connections to the Trump campaign — submissions that jointly won the 2018 National Reporting prize. These inquiries prompted the Pulitzer Board to commission two independent reviews of the work submitted by those organizations to our National Reporting competition. Both reviews were conducted by individuals with no connection to the institutions whose work was under examination, nor any connection to each other. The separate reviews converged in their conclusions: that no passages or headlines, contentions or assertions in any of the winning submissions were discredited by facts that emerged subsequent to the conferral of the prizes. The 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand. The Florida judge, Robert Pegg, found that the statement wasn’t “pure opinion” — as the defense argued — which wouldn’t be actionable by Trump. Rather, the judge said that the statement “withheld information from their audience that would have provided an adequate factual foundation for a common reader to decide whether to agree or disagree with Defendants’ decision to let 2018 Pulitzer Prizes in National Reporting stand, and whether the awarded reporting had in fact been discredited by facts that emerged from the Mueller Report or the other government investigations that had been made public since the conferral of those prizes.” Basically, the judge ruled that the defendants couldn’t escape the case at this stage of litigation. The bottom line for now is that Trump’s complaint survived a motion to dismiss, but whether he ultimately prevails remains to be seen. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for updates and expert analysis on the top legal stories. The newsletter will return to its regular weekly schedule when the Supreme Court’s next term kicks off in October.

Bissell recalls 3.2 million handheld steam cleaners after scores of burn injury reports 2024-07-22 20:26:00+00:00 - Bissell is voluntarily recalling 3.2 million Steam Shot-style handheld steam cleaners after receiving 183 reports of injuries, most of them minor burn incidents. In a release on the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website, Bissell said the affected products "can expel hot water or steam onto users while heating or during use, posing a burn hazard." The products are sold throughout the U.S. and in Canada in Target and Walmart stores, as well as Amazon and other retailers. The units are sold in the model series 39N7 and 2994, with “STEAM SHOT” or “POWER STEAMER” printed on the side of the product. The model numbers are printed on the product rating label located on the bottom of the unit. Consumers should stop using the recalled steam cleaners, and reach out to Bissell to receive either a $60 credit to be used toward a Bissell.com purchase, or a $40 refund for each of the recalled steam cleaners. Consumers should also visit www.bissell.com/steamshotrecall to register for the recall, and for instructions on how to cut the cord and take and upload a photo of the steam cleaner showing the model number and severed cord.

The most luxurious pieces Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones have worn on their 'Twisters' press tour 2024-07-22 20:22:35+00:00 - Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones are turning heads with their style while promoting "Twisters." Powell has been sporting luxury accessories from Tag Heuer and Tom Ford on red carpets. Edgar-Jones, on the other hand, has worn Cartier jewels and handbags from brands like Gucci. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Advertisement "Twisters" is having one of the most glamorous press tours of the year — and it's all thanks to Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Both actors have made notable appearances on and off the red carpet in recent weeks, cementing their statuses as some of this year's coolest stars. It also helps that their movie earned $80.5 million in box-office ticket sales during opening weekend. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in .

Black women propelled a massive donor surge for Kamala Harris 2024-07-22 20:22:12+00:00 - It appears the Kamala Harris era has arrived. In our post-Citizens United world, where donations are considered “speech,” the flood of donations to Harris’ campaign after President Joe Biden withdrew on Sunday spoke volumes. If money talks, this rush of funds sounded like relief, excitement and even pride — all things Democrats were sorely missing with Biden atop the ticket. Harris will finally get her chance to "prosecute the case" against Donald Trump, as she sought to do when she ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020. And many people are eager to see it. On Sunday night, the organizers behind the group Win With Black Women hosted a Zoom call featuring activists and influencers. More than 44,000 people joined the call, Bloomberg News reported. The group said it raised over $1.5 million during the 90-minute call, signaling a surge of Black, women-led support for Harris. Black folks — Black women, in particular — were some of the most vocal critics of the campaign, led by Democratic insiders and backed by some media pundits, to get Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race. Their concerns were primarily due to a belief that Democratic power brokers would try to select a nominee to leapfrog Harris and lead a post-Biden ticket. The gathering coordinated by Win With Black Women was a show of force. In that light, the gathering coordinated by Win With Black Women was a show of force, demonstrating that Black women — a voting bloc Democrats will rely on to win the White House and races for the House and Senate this fall — are firmly in Harris’ corner. And while we should be cautious not to assume fundraising success necessarily results in electoral success, it signals a palpable energy surrounding Harris at the moment. On Monday, the Harris campaign announced it had raised $81 million in its first 24 hours across the campaign, Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees. That was even higher than the previous record for this year, the $50 million that the Trump campaign reported raising in the 24 hours after his felony conviction in New York. Meantime, the fundraising platform ActBlue processed tens of millions more up and down the ballot, according to a New York Times analysis, making this a massive fundraising moment for Democrats. Major donors also jumped into the fray. NBC and CNBC report that several big donors who had suspended donations to Biden, including heiress Abigail Disney, have said they’re ready to throw their money behind Harris. Politico reported that "Future Forward, the flagship super PAC blessed by President Joe Biden, received $150 million in new commitments from major Democratic donors in the 24 hours since the president announced he would step aside from the race." And The Hollywood Reporter reported that big-money Harris backers in Los Angeles are preparing to support her presidential bid as well, in part to counter tech bros who've been backing Trump. Democratic donors, big and small, who seemed reluctant to bet big on Biden are pushing their chips to the center of the table and appear set to go all-in on the Harris campaign.

Biden shakes up 2024 race, backing Harris and ending Trump's run of political good luck 2024-07-22 20:20:50+00:00 - This is an adapted excerpt from a July 21 special episode of “The Rachel Maddow Show.” Three and a half years into his presidency, Joe Biden made American history with an act of profound political and personal sacrifice: stepping down from his re-election bid in favor of his vice president, Kamala Harris. In the instant Biden announced that news, at 1:46 p.m. on a Sunday, everything changed. The Democratic Party instantly ended its internal war — an emotional, intense, harrowing fight that has torn the party apart for the past three and a half weeks. That is over. In the instant Biden announced that news, at 1:46 p.m. on a Sunday, everything changed. The expectation among Democrats, an expectation voiced more and more openly in recent days, was that the party was in for a historic wipeout in November — with not just the White House in danger, but the House and the Senate in danger as well. That expectation has also evaporated in an instant. Shortly after issuing his statement, Biden voiced his strong and unequivocal endorsement of Harris. Harris confirmed immediately that she would indeed run and pledged to fight — to win. When it came to commenting on the very difficult knockdown, drag-out fight within the Democratic Party, Republicans and Donald Trump had been uncharacteristically disciplined. They were being very reticent and very disciplined about not talking about the concerns over Biden showing his age. That’s because they were crossing their fingers and hoping Biden would stay in the race, expecting he would stay in. They were looking at the polls and bragging about their surely, absolutely guaranteed victory. Last week, Trump’s pollster said there were between 20 and 25 different paths to victory in the electoral map. Biden, perhaps cannily, waited until the supremely self-confident Republican side locked in their ticket. He waited to announce his plans until Trump picked a running mate whom most Americans do not know, and who — they are discovering — is deeply committed to a nationwide ban on abortion. Trump’s remarkable recent run of political good luck has finally come to an end. He is now the old man in the presidential race. A 78-year-old who is only occasionally coherent, with a record as president that is viewed by historians as the worst in the history of the country and a tenure that ended in violence. A man who refuses to promise there won’t be more violence from his supporters in the future. Trump’s remarkable recent run of political good luck has finally come to an end. Trump drags along with him not just the legacy of what happened the last time he was in office, but also the threat of a national abortion ban and a possible prison sentence — that all heads with him to the polls. We now know Trump’s opponent will not be a man older than him. His opponent will likely be a 59-year-old former prosecutor, attorney general, U.S. senator, and vice president to Joe Biden — who cemented his legacy with a decision that will go down in history as one of the most selfless patriotic sacrifices of any sitting president ever. At 1:46 p.m. on a Sunday, Biden changed everything about this race. In an instant, the old era is over and the new era is here. It’s go time. Join Rachel Maddow and many others on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Brooklyn, New York, for “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024,” a first-of-its kind live event. You’ll get to see your favorite hosts in person, and hear thought-provoking conversations about what matters most in the final weeks of an unprecedented election cycle. Buy tickets here.

Biden joins the one-term president’s club: What it means for his legacy and historical comparison 2024-07-22 20:17:03+00:00 - America tends to pity the one-term president. Whether denied a second term by the voters or by fate, the commanders in chief who served only a single stint in office have a certain pathos about them. Consider just some recent one-termers. Gerald Ford? Accidental president remembered for falling down the steps of Air Force One. Jimmy Carter? Used as an epithet for a failed presidency by Republicans for decades. George H.W. Bush? Outshone by his own son’s two terms. It is this sad fate that both Donald Trump and Joe Biden sought to avoid as they ran for a second term this November. But now that Biden has dropped out, he has definitively joined the club. Before he ran in 2020, Biden reportedly considered pledging to serve only a single term before deciding instead on a strategy of "quietly indicating" that he wouldn't run again. (He chose a funny way of going about that.) Republican nominee John McCain also mulled a similar move in 2008. The lure of joining the pantheon of two-term presidents is strong. Both dropped the idea in the end because they feared it would reduce their power in the White House, but maybe also because the lure of joining the pantheon of two-term presidents is too strong. The two-termers, after all, get the glory. Mount Rushmore? Two-termers. Coins and paper bills? Two-termers. Prestige Hollywood biopics? Two-termers. One-term presidents are not remembered as fondly. When the American Political Science Association released its regular survey ranking the presidents earlier this year, the top 10 had only a single one-termer in it (JFK, who continues to be remembered more for his potential than his achievements); the bottom 10 were all one-termers (including Trump, for now). Looking at the bottom of the list starts to feel like the old "Simpsons" bit where the kids dress up as the "adequate, forgettable, occasionally regrettable caretaker presidents," singing: We are the mediocre presidents. You won't find our faces on dollars or on cents. There's Taylor, there's Tyler, there's Fillmore and there's Hayes, There's William Henry Harrison. HARRISON: I died in thirty days! One-termers, all of them. Joe Biden, Donald Trump, George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. Getty Images Some of that is raw skill. After all, as Trump reminded us in 2016, anyone can win a presidential race once if they get lucky. But winning twice shows that it wasn't a fluke. A second term is also a good proxy for whether you lived up to your promises since voters have a chance to weigh in on how you did with your first four years on the job. But if becoming a certified member of the One-Term Presidents club is a sad moment for Biden, there is still hope for him. Some one-termers have been rehabilitated by history, especially when they have shown skill in international diplomacy, racked up legislative achievements in a short time or done what was right for the country on a major issue. The exemplar here is James K. Polk, who, admittedly, is not well known today. But as fans of the band They Might Be Giants know, he fulfilled every one of his campaign goals in just four years, including a pledge to only serve one term. Another model is the elder Bush, whose judicious handling of the end of the Cold War and decision to end the first Gulf War without invading Iraq lost him political points at the time but came to look better in retrospect. Historians will largely end up judging Biden based on what happens next. The truth is that it's still too early to tell, as historians will largely judge Biden based on what happens next. He may be remembered for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, massive spending to rebuild the nation's infrastructure and fight climate change, and appointing the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Or his presidency may be seen as a brief interregnum between Trump's two terms. Whatever happens, Biden's decision to voluntarily step down and not seek the nomination that was within his grasp will loom large in the analysis. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins the nomination and goes on to win the general election, Biden may be seen as a statesman who understood the stakes and let go of power for the good of the country, a marked contrast with Trump, who still can't admit he lost in 2020. He will have passed the test of doing the right thing on a big issue. But if she falters and either loses the nomination or the general election, Biden will be remembered more for having held on as long as he did, fatally damaging his party's chances. Biden's legacy, then, may come down not to what he did on the job but how and when he decided to quit. He may forever be a one-term president, but, unlike most of the others, it will have been his choice, and he can take some solace in that.

Eminem brings Taylor Swift’s historic reign at No. 1 to an end, Stevie Wonder’s record stays intact 2024-07-22 20:12:24+00:00 - Eminem’s 12th studio album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, unseating Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” after 12 weeks. In its first week, “The Tortured Poets Department” hit 891.34 million album streams stateside, according to Luminate, the biggest streaming week for an album in history. Swift’s album debuted at No. 1 in April and held the top spot for three months. She is the only woman to have done so; Swift beat the previous record held by Whitney Houston’s 1987 album, “Whitney.” It spent its first 11 weeks at No. 1. “The Tortured Poets Department” tied Morgan Wallen’s 2023 album “One Thing at a Time,” which also debuted at No. 1 and stayed there for 12 consecutive weeks. (It would later remerge at the top spot, spending 19 weeks total at No. 1.) The only album to outperform them is Stevie Wonder’s 1976 masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life.” It spent 13 weeks at No. 1 after debuting in the top spot; 14 weeks there in total. “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” is Eminem’s 11th No. 1 album. “The Tortured Poets Department” dropped to No. 4 as a result. In the second slot is K-pop boy band ENHYPHEN’s “ROMANCE:UNTOLD” and irreverent country Zach Bryan’s “The Great American Bar Scene” is at No. 3.

The one thing Kamala Harris must not do is embrace the memes 2024-07-22 20:08:50+00:00 - By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview But Kamala's "brat summer" could end sooner than she'd like if Harris and the Democrats do the one thing that would kill the vibe: over-embrace the memes. One coconut emoji too many, and Harris HQ could be veering into cringe, losing the coveted brain rot demographic. They've already started to try to capitalize on the memes — a little: The Harris presidential campaign's official TikTok account posted Charli XCX's Sunday tweet that said: "Kamala is brat." The Kamala HQ bio also reads "ready to provide context," which is a reference to another Harris-related meme. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. kamala IS brat — Charli (@charli_xcx) July 22, 2024 (If the coconut and brat references don't make sense to you, a brief explanation: Brat is a reference to Charli XCX's latest album, which has a girls-just-wanna-have-judgment-free-fun vibe. Saying something is "brat" is meant as a compliment in this case. And the "coconut" and "context" references refer to a clip of Harris retelling an anecdote her mother told her when she said, "Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?") Advertisement In all of these memes, the ratio of love to irony is difficult to parse — and if you're confused, don't worry; it's not just you. Still, right now, the memes are flowing, and there's an organic buoyancy and joy to the coconut- and lime-green Charli XCX-themed posts. Related stories Other politicians are getting in on it, too. Sen. Bryan Schatz of Hawaii posted a photo late Sunday of himself climbing a coconut tree. Madam Vice President, we are ready to help. pic.twitter.com/y8baSx44FL — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 22, 2024 For now, these subtle and immediate reactions haven't blown it (yet). Advertisement The Harris campaign and its supporters would miss a big opportunity if they completely ignored the organic internet buzz coming from some young voters. But leaning in much harder might backfire. We saw how a viral moment can go flat with "Dark Brandon" — a meme that started as a joke about Joe Biden being secretly good at his job — a counter to the MAGA memes about Trump. But at some point, the Biden administration latched onto this meme and ran with it themselves. They killed it. For The Atlantic, Charlie Warzel wrote about the "coconut-pilled" #KHive memedom and how it's a tactical moment: … The semi-ironic "coconut-pilling" of leftists on X and TikTok reveals a larger opportunity for Democrats with Biden out of the race. Not only has the Trump campaign lost its most salient line of attack (that Biden is old and unfit for office), but it's now forced to compete for attention against a candidate who, should she become the nominee, can easily attract it in droves. Harris may not be extremely online herself—she lacks the genuine social-media prowess of somebody like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—but her age and vibrancy are still advantages online. Whereas the Biden campaign's Dark Brandon memes felt forced, Harris's efforts are likely to appear more authentic, maybe even fun. The worst thing that could happen to the coconut-pilled momentum would be if Kamala Harris tweeted, "Let's work it out on the remix" — a reference to a track on the "brat" album — or a coconut emoji. Advertisement That would kill the vibes along the lines of one of the most cringe-worthy moments of Hillary Clinton's 2016 online strategy when she attempted to ride the internet zeitgeist. Even still today, the chorus of Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" triggers a Pavlovian response of loathing and disgust among young liberals as a relic of the maximum millennial cringe. Katy Perry, who performed at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, has found herself stuck in the millennial girlboss tarpits with her latest female-power-anthem single for these same reasons. Corniness and cringe lurk around every corner. Sometimes, time is the only factor needed: Internet excitement ages like milk. Advertisement The @KamalaHQ account has now surged past 800k followers. Fast approaching 1 million-- let's gooo! pic.twitter.com/qMYVn1BOtV — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) July 22, 2024 Of course, politics isn't the only sphere where leaning into memes can be cringe. The mid-2010s trend of big brands like Dennys or Arby's leaning into internet trend memespeak was charming at first but eventually met a backlash. For now, there's a moment of playfulness and fun with the organically occurring Harris fan posts. Some of it is genuine enthusiasm about the candidate, some of it is nihilistic irony, and some is a little of both. Memes are, by nature, like weeds — growing best when uncultivated. If the Harris campaign wants to let this internet goodwill keep flowing, it should be very cautious not to overwater the seeds.

I've spent 6 weeks of my life on Guam and am convinced it's the most underrated tourist destination in the US 2024-07-22 20:06:32+00:00 - The island of Guam is a US territory in the Pacific seeking more US tourists. I've spent six weeks in Guam, visiting my CHamoru family and exploring the island. Its unique attractions, marine preserves, and rich culture make Guam a hidden gem destination. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. Advertisement Throughout my life, I've probably spent more time in Guam than any other destination in the world. The primary reason I've spent a total of six weeks on the Pacific island is that I have more family there than anywhere else on Earth. Guam is a US territory in Oceania that has long been overlooked by American tourists. Travel search site Skyscanner reported in 2018 that few Americans plan trips to this destination. And growing up in the US, I rarely met people who'd even heard of the island. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in .

Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT Sports informs NBA it will match Amazon Prime Video’s offer to air games 2024-07-22 20:03:45+00:00 - Turner Sports intends to continue its longtime relationship with the NBA. Warner Bros. Discovery informed the league Monday that it will match the $1.8 billion per year offer by Amazon Prime Video. Turner has had an NBA package since 1984 and games have been on TNT since the network launched in 1988. “We have reviewed the offers and matched one of them. This will allow fans to keep enjoying our unparalleled coverage, including the best live game productions in the industry and our iconic studio shows and talent, while building on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years,” Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement. “Our matching paperwork was submitted to the league today. We look forward to the NBA executing our new contract.” The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the league’s 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon Prime Video at its meeting in Las Vegas last Tuesday. WBD received all three contracts Wednesday, which started the five-day clock for whether it wanted to match. The new deals — collectively worth $76 billion — will begin with the 2025-26 season, and include a game being aired or streamed nationally every night during the second half of the season. The Prime Video offer has games on Thursday night after it is done carrying NFL games. Its other nights are Friday and Saturday. Amazon Prime Video did not comment on WBD’s intention to match. An NBA spokesperson said the league is reviewing the matching offer. If the NBA accepts the matching offer, TNT would likely carry games on Thursday with the other nights being streamed on Max. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav sounded an ominous note when he said during an RBC Investor Conference in November 2022 that Turner and WBD “don’t have to have the NBA.” Warner Bros. Discovery and the league were unable to reach a deal during the exclusive negotiating period, which expired in April. Zaslav and TNT Sports Chairman/CEO Luis Silberwasser have said during the past couple months, though, that it intended to match one of the deals. “We’re proud of how we have delivered for basketball fans by providing best-in-class coverage throughout our four-decade partnership with the NBA. In an effort to continue our long-standing partnership, during both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiation periods, we acted in good faith to present strong bids that were fair to both parties,” WBD said in a statement. “Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it.” People familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Amazon’s offer included a provision to pay multiple years up front into an escrow account, which many thought would make it hard to match. However, WBD has told the league it has the financial resources to be able to do that. The Amazon provision was first mentioned by “The Ringer’s” Bill Simmons on “The Town” podcast. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they weren’t at liberty to discuss such impending matters. WBD is paying $1.4 billion per season under the current nine-year deal, which expires after next season. Even though WBD would be making a huge financial commitment, it is a necessary one. Without the NBA, it would have had a hard time charging its current subscriber fees to cable and satellite companies. Retaining the NBA would also mean that the popular “Inside the NBA” show would continue. Charles Barkley had been critical of WBD’s negotiating posture and was not optimistic about it matching. Barkley announced at the end of this season that he intended to retire after next season. It is expected that the NBA would announce the finality of the media deals sometime this week. ESPN and ABC, which will keep the league’s top package, will have a conference finals every year as well as the NBA Finals. NBC and WBD would alternate which one carries one of the conference finals series. The return of NBC, which carried NBA games from 1990 through 2002, would give the league two broadcast network partners for the first time. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

How Media Outlets on the Left and Right Covered Biden’s Withdrawal 2024-07-22 20:02:57.989000+00:00 - Political media across the spectrum devoted wall-to-wall news coverage and analysis of President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Depending on what outlet you watched, the decision was either exceptionally honorable or evidence of a “coup” by Democratic politicians. Liberal sites and publications largely saluted Mr. Biden as a hero, even calling him “patriotic.” Commentators supported his decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and portrayed the Democratic Party as unifying around her. Conservative outlets were predictably more critical of Mr. Biden’s presidential legacy and his decision. Some said Democrats’ entreaties to him, encouraging his withdrawal, suggested the decision was a “coup” by party elites. Commentators also attacked his mental fitness and called for him to step down from the presidency immediately, months before the conclusion of his term.

Axsome Therapeutics' CNS Portfolio Poised for Major Growth - Analyst Predicts Strong Future - Axsome Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AXSM) 2024-07-22 20:02:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... Needham initiated coverage on Axsome Therapeutics Inc AXSM, which focuses on central nervous disorders conditions, including depression, Alzheimer’s disease agitation, migraine, narcolepsy, and fibromyalgia. Needham writes that Axsome Therapeutics’ diversified CNS portfolio will help grow the risk-adjusted topline by 8-10x in five years. The analyst anticipates an upside for Axsome Therapeutics on its two marketed drugs, Auvelity for major depressive disorder and Sunosi for excessive daytime sleepiness. Related: Axsome Depression Drug’s Commercial Success, Pipeline Potential Undervalued, Analyst Says. Physicians report a positive experience with Auvelity due to its novel mechanism of action, rapid onset, and efficacy. However, they note that payer coverage could be better. Physicians were generally positive about increasing their use of Auvelity, but Needham does not anticipate better-than-expected growth for the drug. Needham initiated with a Buy rating and a price target of $130. The analyst says the company’s most significant pipeline asset, AXS-05 in Alzheimer’s Disease agitation, is already de-risked based on two positive Phase 3 trial data, and the ADVANCE-2 Ph 3 readout this year will support a filing. Needham estimates 2028 US sales of ~$550 million (+11% vs. cons), growing to ~$1 billion in 2030 Currently, Axsome receives no value for its remaining pipeline, but several of these products are in the late stages. Needham anticipates they will contribute to topline growth soon. Axsome has three late-stage assets: AXS-07 for migraine, AXS-14 for fibromyalgia—2Q24 filing, and AXS-12 for narcolepsy filing post-second half data safety data, which can collectively drive ~$1 billion in sales by 2030 with a 60-65% probability of success. Price Action: AXSM stock is up 1.21% at $85.88 at the last check on Monday. Read Next:

EstateX Co-Founder Bart de Bruijn on How to Future-Proof Your Investment Portfolio 2024-07-22 19:53:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... "Future-proofing" might be the buzzword du jour in the investing world, but it's worth paying attention to. In a shifting market, investors must make sure their portfolios can weather upcoming changes in the financial and technological landscapes. Through EstateX, a fractional real estate ownership platform, Bart de Bruijn hopes to help more people than ever find a simple, reliable way to diversify and future-proof their portfolios. He notes that in order to future-proof an investment portfolio, you need to have a portfolio in the first place — and for many people today, that's more difficult than it sounds. "The everyday person is in a state of emergency," he says. "The average 30-year-old now isn't even able to go to the property market. This has never happened before, so there needs to be a change." Real estate has long been recognized as a stable investment that can generate significant returns, but historically, it's been an asset class that many people can't access. Fractional ownership changes that. "Even if you only have as little as a hundred dollars, you can get into the property market and start adding multiple streams of passive income," de Bruijn says. For de Bruijn, EstateX is more than a business venture. In a world where many are facing an uncertain financial future, he hopes to help ordinary people find some modicum of security. "We have a solution, an ecosystem," he says. "We have the community, the partners, and the means to have a positive impact on the world." However, the EstateX model isn't geared only toward those who haven't been able to invest in real estate until now. It also offers advantages for those who are already investing in real estate or who already have strong portfolios. Diversification is a critical element of future-proofing — but it's not limited to diversifying your portfolio across multiple asset classes. For investors seeking stability, diversifying investments within a single asset class can be incredibly helpful. Fractional real-estate investment makes this easy. "You can have a worldwide portfolio in the palm of your hand," de Bruijn says. "Even if it's just $1,000, you could have $500 worth of a pension of a penthouse in Japan, $300 worth of a golf course in Texas, and $200 worth of an apartment building in London as well." A strong portfolio is also a flexible portfolio, and flexibility makes it easy for investors to rearrange their investments to suit a changing market. Traditional real-estate investment — when an investor owns one or more properties — is not especially liquid. If an investor wants to exit the investment, they must sell the property. That's an ordeal in itself. However, fractional real estate shares like those on EstateX make that process much easier. "We're bringing liquidity to an asset class that's not very liquid," says de Bruijn. "Property and real estate is probably one of the biggest, oldest, most secure, and most popular ways for people to invest. The only issue is that it's hard to make it very liquid. With EstateX, we aim to offer people liquidity straight away through cash out, lending and trading options." Fractional real estate investment also makes investing in real estate faster and simpler in another regard: it doesn't require the investor to handle the cost or logistics of property management. That also means investors don't face the ever-present risk of expensive repairs on a property. For instance, suppose that a traditional investor owns a property that generates $2,000 of passive income each month. However, it suddenly needs a $10,000 sewer repair. That repair isn't just an unexpected upfront cost — it also effectively erases five months of passive income. If a fractional investor owns a share in a property that generates the same income, they would not be responsible for the upfront repair cost. While that cost would impact the total returns generated by the property, it would effectively be distributed among the shareholders. This means that the fractional investor would likely see a slight decrease in their total passive income from the property, but the impact would be significantly less than it would be if they owned the property outright. So is EstateX (along with platforms like it) the future of investing? Maybe. No one can say for certain what the market will do in the future. But fractional real estate investments can distribute your risk and create more stability in your portfolio, and in times like these, that's exactly what you need. This post was authored by an external contributor and does not represent Benzinga’s opinions and has not been edited for content. The information contained above is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice. Benzinga does not make any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company.

AnaptysBio Investigational Arthritis Drug Might Have Better Efficacy Profile Than Eli Lilly's: Analyst - AnaptysBio (NASDAQ:ANAB) 2024-07-22 19:49:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... HC Wainwright analyst initiated coverage on AnaptysBio Inc ANAB, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on delivering immunology therapeutics. AnaptysBio has a pipeline of checkpoint agonists, including rosnilimab, a PD-1 agonist in development for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ulcerative colitis (UC), and ANB032, a B and T cell lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) agonist in development for atopic dermatitis (AD). In Phase 1, rosnilimab showed a 90% reduction of T cell proliferation, inflammatory cytokine secretion and PD-1(high) T cells and demonstrated favorable safety. Related: Skin Disease-Focused AnaptysBio Earns Analyst Upgrade On Positive Outlook For Clinical Triggers. HC Wainwright initiated with a Buy rating and a price target of $55. Targeting PD-1 high-expressing cells has been clinically derisked as a mechanism of action against rheumatoid arthritis through positive Phase 2 data from Eli Lilly And Co’s LLY peresolimab. While peresolimab for rheumatoid arthritis has shown encouraging results, there may still be potential for improved agonist potency. HC Wainwright suggests that rosnilimab might have a better efficacy profile than peresolimab. They expect that the topline data from the Phase 2b trial of rosnilimab in rheumatoid arthritis, due in mid-2025, could surpass the efficacy results seen in peresolimab’s Phase 2a trial. If rosnilimab shows JAK-like efficacy without safety concerns, HC Wainwright believes it could see substantial uptake even in the crowded UC market. They anticipate topline data in the first half of 2026, which could be a major catalyst. ANB032 is a more high-risk/high-reward asset, given that historical studies with BTLA agonists were not positive, although these assets did not have membrane-proximal epitope binding and had weak agonist activity. Gilead Sciences Inc GILD has expanded the GS-0272 (BTLA agonist) Phase 1b study in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from 48 to 87 patients, suggesting potential activity. This development boosts confidence in ANB032. The analyst writes that expectations for topline Phase 2 data by the end of 2024 for AD are low, which could lead to significant upside potential, if positive. Price Action: ANAB stock is up 3.26% at $34.80 at the last check on Monday.

Dover wisely shuffles its portfolio — and why we're upgrading a struggling consumer stock 2024-07-22 19:36:00+00:00 - Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Markets: Stocks were up nicely in midday trading, with the S & P 500 adding 1.1% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing even more. The small-cap Russell 2000, one of the hottest trades of late, also moved higher. It has been a flipped script compared with what we saw last week when the market rotated out of the "Magnificent Seven" and high-flying semiconductor stocks in favor of small caps. In Monday's session, the S & P 500's technology, communication services and consumer discretionary sectors outperformed. Meanwhile, energy and consumer staples were the only two sectors in the red. M & A moves: Club holding Dover said Monday it will sell its Environmental Solutions Group business to Terex Corporation for $2 billion in cash. Dover's environmental unit specializes in the waste collection industry and makes things like garbage trucks and trash compactors. It generated approximately $750 million in revenue in 2023, or roughly 9% of Dover's total sales. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year. We're not quite sure why Dover shares are down nearly 2% on the news. OK, maybe Terex got the better end of the deal on paper — its stock shot up about 10% on the news, and you typically don't see the acquirer up that much on M & A. However, this is the type of active portfolio management that Dover is known for. We're always fans when companies divest non-core businesses with less attractive growth profiles and use the money to either make bolt-on acquisitions in more attractive spaces or increase cash returns to shareholders like buybacks. Dover didn't say Monday what it might use these proceeds for, but that's besides the point right now. Effective portfolio management is what separates good multi-industry companies from great ones. That's why we're not surprised that fellow Club industrial Honeywell has finally started to move again after all its recent dealmaking. We're still waiting for the other side of the ledger when it divests some non-core assets. Both Dover and Honeywell are set to report earnings Wednesday morning. Upgrade brewing: Shares of Starbucks fell Monday after bucking the market's downward trend last week thanks to a nearly 7% jump Friday. The catalyst for Friday's gains: A report in The Wall Street Journal that said Elliott Management took a stake in the coffee chain. This is a major positive development for Starbucks and its beaten-up shareholders. The presence and collaboration with a rigorous firm like Elliott should lead to positive changes and keep management accountable. Our expectation is they will find ways to create value. We stuck by Starbucks after its horrendous earnings miss and outlook cut April 30 because we thought its problems were mostly self-inflicted and not due to a brand issue. Although turnarounds do not happen overnight, the combination of an already de-risked outlook and Elliott on the shareholder's side makes us buyers. We're upgrading our rating back to 1. Up Next: Monday is the big steel night with earnings from Nucor and Cleveland-Cliffs . In tech, NXP Semiconductors and Cadence Design Systems are set to report. Before the bell Tuesday, Danaher will report, and we're hoping this Club name says its bioprocess business is on track with its recovery. Other notable earning reports include Spotify , United Parcel Services , GE Aerospace , GM , Coca-Cola , Freeport-McMoRan and HCA Healthcare . (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street.

This Week: Existing home sales, quarterly GDP estimate, consumer spending data 2024-07-22 19:20:48+00:00 - A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week HOUSING BAROMETER Economists project that the nation’s home sales slump deepened in June for the fourth straight month. The National Association of Realtors is expected to report on Tuesday that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed last month to the weakest annual pace since December, underscoring how elevated mortgage rates, a dearth of homes for sale and record-high prices remain a drag on the housing market. Existing home sales, in millions, seasonally adjusted annual rate: Jan. 4.0 Feb. 4.38 March 4.22 April 4.14 May 4.11 June (est.) 3.98 Source: FactSet MODEST GROWTH? The Commerce Department delivers its preliminary estimate of second-quarter U.S. economic growth Thursday. Economists predict that the economy expanded at a 1.9% seasonally adjusted annual pace from April through June. That would follow a 1.4% annual growth pace in the first quarter, the slowest since spring 2022. GDP, percent change, seasonally adjusted annual rate, by quarter: Q1 2023: 2.2 Q2 2023: 2.1 Q3 2023: 4.9 Q4 2023: 3.4 Q1 2024: 1.4 Q2 2024 (est.): 1.9 Source: FactSet INFLATION BELLWETHER The Commerce Department releases its latest monthly snapshot of U.S. consumer spending Friday. Economists expect the personal consumption expenditures index, which tracks spending across all goods and services, inched up 0.2% in June. Consumers account for 70% of economic activity, so spending trends are closely monitored by the Federal Reserve as it determines how to adjust interest rates in its bid to tame inflation. Consumer spending, monthly percent change, seasonally adjusted: Jan. 0.1 Feb. 0.6 March 0.7 April 0.1 May 0.3 June (est.) 0.2 Source: FactSet

Silicon Valley Investors’ Plans for a New City Put on Hold 2024-07-22 19:16:44+00:00 - Silicon Valley’s plans for a start-up city are on hold. The East Solano Plan — a proposal backed by a roster of technology billionaires to build a city of up to 400,000 people on farmland about 60 miles from San Francisco — is being delayed at least two years to study the project’s impact on the environment, the company behind the development said in a statement. The city was meant to be a walkable urban community in a rural corner of the San Francisco Bay Area now home to sheep farms and windmills. Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader who came up with the plan and is now the chief executive of the company behind it, pitched it as a way to build significantly more housing, something California badly needs, in a short amount of time. The company’s investors, a who’s who of Silicon Valley, included a number of billionaires including Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder, venture capitalist and Democratic donor, and Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of the Emerson Collective. But the proposal created tension in the area. California Forever, the company driving the development, spent years buying some $900 million of farmland without revealing anything about the identity of its backers or plans for a new city. The secrecy stoked fear and mistrust among neighbors who spent years trying to uncloak the company’s identity until The New York Times revealed it last year.

Cannabis Stocks Surge Then Plummet On News That Biden Is Bowing Out Of 2024 Presidential Race - Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB), Canopy Gwth (NASDAQ:CGC) 2024-07-22 19:08:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... President Joe Biden's announcement that he will not seek re-election has impacted the cannabis stock market. The sector's reaction varied, reflecting investor sentiment and market speculation about future regulatory changes under a potential new administration. This analysis, derived from Benzinga Pro data, highlights the key movements among popular cannabis stocks 24 hours after the announcement. Biggest Losers Several cannabis stocks faced a downturn following the announcement. Curaleaf Holdings CURLF decreased by 1.3986% to $4.23. Jushi Holdings JUSHF dropped by 5.0847%, reaching $0.56. Green Thumb Industries GTBIF fell by 2.3444% to $11.455. Trulieve Cannabis TCNNF decreased by 1.1508% to $10.6. Cresco Labs CRLBF dropped by 1.7341%, reaching $1.7. Biggest Winners Conversely, ohter cannabis stocks saw gains following the announcement. Aurora Cannabis ACB increased by 4.6957%, reaching $6.02. Village Farms International VFF increased by 0.9259%, reaching $1.09. Tilray Brands TLRY rose by 4.3575%, reaching $1.868.SNDL SNDL saw an increase of 7.1836%, reaching $2.2187. Medicine Man Technologies SHWZ experienced a gain of 100.0%, reaching $0.3. OrganiGram Holdings OGI rose by 5.1515%, reaching $1.735. Innovative Industrial Properties IIPR gained 1.5641%, reaching $120.13. Cronos Group CRON increased by 2.7311%, reaching $2.445. Canopy Growth CGC increased by 9.9593%, reaching $7.8401. Read Also: Will Biden's Shaky Debate Performance Affect Cannabis Reform? How A Trump Return Could Reshape Marijuana Policy Performance Of Cannabis ETFs Cannabis ETFs mirrored the overall market's mixed sentiment. AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF YOLO rose by 2.0528%, reaching $3.48. AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF MSOS experienced a gain of 3.9811%, reaching $7.705. These ETFs remain a barometer for broader market trends within the cannabis sector, indicating cautious optimism among ETF investors. The trading volumes for these ETFs also showed increased activity, with YOLO trading 15,157 shares and MSOS trading 4,576,010 shares in the last 24 hours. *Based on data from Benzinga Pro. Read Next: These issues will be among the hot topics at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Join us to get more insight into what the wave of weed legalization means for the future of investing in the industry. Hear directly from top executives, investors, advocates, and policymakers. Get your tickets now before prices go up by following this link. Photo: AI-Generated Image.

The Kamala Harris veepstakes has no bad options 2024-07-22 19:06:48+00:00 - After President Joe Biden announced that he’s ending his re-election campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, there’s speculation about whom Harris might pick as her running mate in the likely scenario that she wins the Democratic nomination. NBC News has a list of potential picks, all of whom bring something unique to the table. As I see it, none of the picks mentioned would be bad by any stretch of the imagination. But there are some who I think stand apart from the rest. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona Narratively speaking, Kelly might offer the most upside. He’s a former naval captain turned astronaut who made a foray into politics after his wife, then-Rep. Gabby Giffords, was severely wounded in a mass shooting in Arizona. He’s a popular senator from a crucial swing state that has been trending toward Democrats in recent years. He also has been a longtime Harris supporter, having endorsed her Senate candidacy in California in 2016. His military background and outspokenness on behalf of veterans give him credence among people who have served; he would counterbalance the presence of Sen. JD Vance, a Marine veteran, on Trump’s ticket; and he also would help undermine right-wing nonsense about diversity measures being a top issue plaguing the military. Furthermore, Kelly has been vocal on the matter of immigration — a salient political issue in his home state — and earlier this year denounced Trump’s successful effort to tank bipartisan immigration legislation. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro Shapiro is another popular governor of a potential swing state. His 2022 defeat of MAGA extremist Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race showed that he’s unafraid of highlighting Trumpian attacks on democracy in plain speak, and he has shown charm and deftness in interviews that could further distinguish Harris’ ticket as the youthful and exuberant one relative to Trump’s old-fashioned authoritarianism. He would also be just the second Jewish vice presidential nominee, after Joe Lieberman, which could send a powerful message in response to the documented antisemitism within the MAGA movement. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper Cooper, who previously served as North Carolina’s attorney general, is about to be termed out but has maintained popularity in his state despite its trend toward Republicans in recent years. Despite the GOP’s efforts to curtail his powers as governor once he was elected, Cooper has shown an ability to achieve long-sought reform — like Medicaid expansion — in a state where Republicans control the legislature. Having Cooper on the ticket with Harris could give Democrats more confidence in competing for North Carolina, particularly if — as some have predicted — extremist-friendly candidates like Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, drive Democratic turnout. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear At 46 years old, Beshear is the youngest potential veep pick on my list of possibles. Like Harris and Shapiro, he served as his state’s attorney general before becoming governor. Beshear’s father was a governor, so he has a political lineage in Kentucky despite the state’s conservative leanings and has won elections over MAGA candidates while being a vocal supporter of abortion rights. It seems unlikely that having Beshear on the ticket would put Kentucky in play, but he has exhibited an ability to speak to white rural voters that could certainly help Harris in key battleground states.