2024

President Biden on Monday made his first public comment since announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race a day earlier during a call into the headquarters of Vice President Harris, who he endorsed following his announcement.

Speaking to campaign staffers in Wilmington, Delaware, Harris acknowledged that the past day had ‘been a roller coaster’ after Biden announced he was dropping out of the race. Biden addressed his sudden departure from the race just weeks before the Democratic National Convention.

‘I know yesterday’s news is surprising, and it’s hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do,’ he said. ‘I know it’s hard because you have poured your heart and soul into me to help us win this thing, help me get this nomination, help me win the nomination and then go on to win the presidency.’

Biden noted that he planned to be ‘fully engaged’ and would be campaigning for Harris.

‘I’m going to be working like hell, both as a sitting president, getting legislation passed as well as campaigning,’ he said.

During her opening remarks, Harris acknowledged the severity of Biden’s exit but had only kind words for the commander in chief.

‘We’re all filled with so many mixed emotions about this,’ Harris said. ‘I just have to say, I love Joe Biden, I love Joe Biden, and I know we all do when we have so many darn good reasons for loving Joe Biden.’

Democratic Party delegates are expected to hold a virtual roll call soon, with Harris favored to become the nominee.

Biden had been besieged by calls from within his own party to step aside amid concerns about his ability to beat former President Trump in the November general election. On Monday, he thanked Harris and wished her luck.

‘I’m watching kid,’ he said. ‘I’m watching you kid. I love you.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Politics

House Dems insist primary is ‘open’ despite rushing to coronate Kamala Harris

House Democrats are insisting that anyone is free to jump into their 2024 presidential primary — but suggest challenging Vice President Kamala Harris is a futile effort.

‘The convention delegates can vote for whomever they choose once they’re released. That means anybody who wants to can and should offer themselves — Vice President Harris has offered herself. So far, the only other person who speculated that he might do it is former Democratic, now independent, Senator Manchin, and then he took it back, so it’s open,’ Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital.

When asked if another Democrat jumping into the race just weeks before their nominating convention would hurt the party’s momentum, Kildee answered, ‘No, I don’t think so. I think she’ll more than likely be a first-ballot nominee, for good reason.’

Ex-House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., was blunter in his assessment of the situation.

‘Woah woah woah woah woah woah. I thought Kamala Harris was on the ballot,’ he told a reporter who asked if he had concerns about the lack of a primary. ‘I thought Kamala Harris was on the ballot to be the president if the president couldn’t serve. She was on the ballot. It was Biden-Harris.’

Harris confirmed she would seek the presidency on Sunday after President Biden made the bombshell announcement that he’s dropping out of the race. Biden has endorsed her, along with a host of Democratic leaders, including former President Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Pelosi said when asked if she supported an open process, ‘Anybody can run. They can run.’

More than 150 House Democrats have endorsed her as of Monday, according to multiple counts.

But with the rush to get behind Harris, Republicans have accused Democrats of staging a coup to replace an 81-year-old candidate who was trailing former President Trump in the polls.

Several House Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital, however, said anyone was free to jump into the race but denied a challenger would derail Harris’ and Democrats’ momentum.

‘You’re seeing Democrats coalesce around Vice President Harris. I have endorsed her. Ultimately, in order to have a primary, you have to have a challenger. No one is challenging her,’ said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. ‘And so right now it is an open process, right? You’ve seen potential people come out who could run and they’re endorsing her. And so that is the open process that’s happening.’

When asked if he would advise potential challengers to stay out, he said, ‘I’m not discouraging anything but these people, right, folks at a high level, governors, senators…they’re not saying they’re gonna throw their hat in the ring, they’re endorsing Vice President Harris because they also think she’s the best person for the job. So it’s tough to say ‘We want to process’ when right now you don’t even have a challenger.’

The top Democrats on the Education and Homeland Security Committees, Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., and Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., both insisted the primary was open but agreed Harris would most likely be the nominee after the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in August.

Scott said, ‘It is open, but nobody’s running. And frankly, I don’t see much point, I mean, you’ve got about 150 members of the Democratic caucus already endorsed, delegations…The delegates are Biden-Harris delegates. Where are they going to go?’

Thompson said her likely victory ‘cements her strength’ among Democrats even if she does face a challenger.

‘If you had an open primary, I’m not sure who’s…left to compete with her,’ said Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., pointing out the significant number of Democrats endorsing her in just 24 hours since she took up Biden’s mantle.

Harris has indeed scored support from a wide array of House Democratic factions, including the Congressional Black Caucus and Progressive Caucus. But some lawmakers who have been critical of the Biden administration — like Reps. Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., have been notably silent.

Biden announced he was dropping out of the presidential race after mounting pressure from fellow Democrats who were worried he was not mentally or physically fit to campaign again, and that such debates were a distraction from the left’s overall campaign against Trump.

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Sports

TNT sports announces move to keep NBA on channel

TNT Sports announced Monday that they will invoke a matching clause in its current rights deal with the National Basketball Association to retain some of its broadcast rights after its current contract ends after the 2024-2025 season.

TNT is the home of Inside the NBA, which is widely recognized as one of the best studio shows in sports.

USA TODAY reported earlier this month that the Association was reviewing a combined 11-year deal from Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC and Amazon, worth approximately $76 billion.

The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Turner reportedly matches part of Amazon package

TNT is aiming to take Amazon’s ‘C’ package estimated at $1.8 billion, which includes a conference final every other year, weekly broadcast rights, WNBA rights and early round playoff game broadcasts, according to reports in Front Office Sports confirmed by USA TODAY.

Turner did not name which contract it intended to match in its statement and the company did not provide further comment.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Politics

JD Vance calls for 25th Amendment to be invoked after Biden exits presidential campaign

During his second rally of the day, vice presidential nominee JD Vance once again called on Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment following President Biden’s announcement on Monday that he was exiting the presidential race.

‘Can anybody just admit that if Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he ain’t fit to serve as President of the United States either?’ Vance asked the crowd. ‘And if Kamala Harris is too blind or too corrupt to admit to the American people that Joe Biden should have never been in there, she’s not fit to serve, either. We got to get them both out of there.’

Vance continued, adding that he was just as shocked as everyone else to find out Biden had dropped out of the race.

‘My wife told me that Joe Biden had decided to withdraw from the presidential race. Now, see, you guys are excited about that. I don’t know, I was looking forward to debating Kamala Harris actually,’ Vance said. ‘I was promised a debate with Kamala Harris, and that’s what I plan to get.’

Vance argued that making Harris the presidential nominee is dangerous as she is even worse than Biden.

‘Now, history will remember Joe Biden as not just a quitter, which he is, but one of the worst presidents of the United States of America. But my friends, Kamala Harris is a million times worse, and everybody knows it,’ Vance explained.

‘She signed up for every single one of Joe Biden’s failures, and she lied about his mental capacity to serve as president. Our country has been saddled for three and a half years with a president who cannot do the job. And that is all because Kamala Harris and the rest of the Democrats lied about his ability to be our president. I think we ought to kick them all out come November and replace him with some people who care about this country,’ Vance said.

Vance added more points about Harris and her failure to secure the border.

‘Harris is actually even more extreme than Biden, even though that’s hard to believe. She wants to totally decriminalize illegal immigration. She supported abolishing ICE and wanted to defund the police. Even Joe Biden never went so far as to say he wanted to defund the police,’ Vance said.

‘There is simply no way that you can sit here and say the policies of Joe Biden have worked, which is to say that we got to kick Kamala Harris out of the Oval Office. Don’t give her a chance,’ Vance urged.

Vance, once again, called what is happening to the Democratic Party a threat to democracy.

‘Democrats are the ones who want to throw out 14 million ballots and not elect Kamala Harris, but select Kamala Harris with a bunch of billionaires and Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi making the decision instead of Democrat voters. It’s disgraceful. And that’s the threat to American democracy, that corruption and that broken process,’ Vance said.

Vance offered the crowd an open invitation to the Republican Party where their vote would matter and be heard.

‘If you are a Democrat primary voter, they don’t give a damn about you because they don’t give a damn who you voted for. If you are a Democrat and you look at this corrupt process, I invite you to the Republican Party. We want to make America great again. We believe in elections. We believe in persuading voters, not lying to them for three and a half years and then doing a switcheroo,’ Vance said.

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Politics

Can Harris use Biden’s campaign funds? And is she eligible to appear on general election ballot?

President Biden’s decision to stand down from re-election yesterday is unprecedented in its timing.

No presidential candidate has ever announced that they were not seeking another term this close to Election Day.

The decision has made Vice President Harris the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic Party nomination.

Today’s Fox News Power Rankings explains how Harris’ elevation could reshape the race and what comes next in Democrats’ nominating process.

This guide provides answers to two more burning questions about the move.

First, how Harris is likely able to use Biden’s existing campaign funds; second, why she can appear on all 50 states’ general election ballots.

Harris and/or Democrats can likely use Biden’s existing campaign funds

Harris has received endorsements from the vast majority of Democratic Party leaders and luminaries.

While the party has not yet formally nominated a candidate and this cycle has been unpredictable, this guide will presume that she is the Democrat presidential nominee.

The existing ‘Team Biden-Harris’ campaign had $240 million cash on hand at the end of June, and that money is critical to Harris’ election bid.

Harris is likely to be able to use it.

The figure above is one number, but it is calculated by taking the Biden-Harris campaign committee’s cash as well as that of the Democratic National Committee, the state parties, joint fundraising committees and allied political action committees (PACs).

Only the Biden-Harris campaign committee part of the overall number is even in question, since the DNC, state parties and other groups listed above are their own entities.

According to FEC filings, the Biden-Harris campaign committee had just under $96 million in cash on hand at the end of June.

As for that $96 million, Harris is likely to be able to use all of that, too.

An analysis of FEC rules indicates that since Harris was running with Biden, she would have access to those specific funds.

Shanna Ports, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, told the Wall Street Journal that ‘she would maintain access to all the funds in the committee and could use them to advance her presidential candidacy.’

That is not a guarantee, and anti-Harris groups may litigate the issue. The Republican chair of the FEC has referenced a rule that general election funds in that figure are subject to refund unless they are appropriately reassigned or redistributed.

Even if Harris couldn’t inherit the funds directly, precedent suggests that Biden’s committee could transfer money to the Democratic National Committee.

That would put Democrats in as strong a position as if the money went directly to Harris.

Another clear option would be to transfer the funds to a super PAC, though that is less financially efficient. Super PACs cannot coordinate with a campaign, and they are often subject to higher advertising rates.

Harris can appear on all 50 states’ general election ballots

No deadlines have passed that would prevent or ‘lock out’ Harris from appearing on a general election ballot in any of the 50 states.

Remember, Democrats had not yet formally nominated Biden – the Democratic National Convention is scheduled for next month. Until yesterday, he was merely the ‘presumptive nominee.’ (Republicans made former President Trump their formal nominee at the Republican National Convention last week.)

This means there is no need for a ‘change’ or ‘swap’ on general election ballots.

The party just needs to nominate a candidate before any general election ballot access deadlines.

That understanding of ballot access rules is supported by local elections officials. One senior official in the Republican-run battleground state of Georgia said on Monday, ‘Biden dropping out will not impact Georgia ballots. As the Democrats haven’t had a convention, there is no ‘nominee’ to replace.’

Democrats have consistently viewed Ohio as the first ballot access deadline on Aug. 7 (there is disagreement over whether the deadline is that early following legislative changes; for the purposes of this analysis, it only matters that Democrats consider the deadline Aug. 7).

As long as the party has a formal nominee by that date, or is persuaded that the Ohio deadline is later, then Harris is set to appear on every state ballot.

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Stocks

The Stock Market is Bracing for Earnings IMPACT!

In this edition of StockCharts TV‘s The Final Bar, Dave breaks down today’s upside recovery day for stocks, then shares the charts of TSLA, NVDA, and more. He also illustrates the conflicting messages from AAII and NAAIM sentiment surveys, and also highlights the VIX testing the key 15 level.

This video originally premiered on July 22, 2024. Watch on our dedicated Final Bar page on StockCharts TV!

New episodes of The Final Bar premiere every weekday afternoon. You can view all previously recorded episodes at this link.

Business

Delta cancels hundreds more flights as its recovery from global CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage lags

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian apologized and offered frequent flyer miles to travelers for thousands of flight cancellations as the carrier struggled to recover from Friday’s globe-spanning IT outage, disruptions that sparked criticism from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The Atlanta-based airline canceled more than 4,600 flights from Friday through Sunday, more than any other airline, according to aviation data firm OAG.

On Monday morning, Delta had already canceled another 700 flights, or 18% of its mainline operation, making up the vast majority of cancellations in the U.S.

The delays and cancellations have put Delta in a rare spotlight for the carrier whose leaders pride themselves on reliability and punctuality.

Travelers wait in line at check-in in Terminal 2, Delta Airlines, at Los Angeles airport, on July 19, 2024.Etienne Laurent / AFP – Getty Images

“We continue to receive reports of unacceptable disruptions and customer service conditions at Delta Air Lines, including hundreds of complaints filed with our Department,” Buttigieg said in an emailed statement late Sunday. “I have made clear to Delta that we expect the airline to provide prompt refunds” to customers who chose to call off their trips because of the disruptions as well as “timely reimbursements for food and overnight hotel stays to consumers affected by the delays and cancellations, as well as adequate customer service assistance to all of their passengers.”

The disruptions have persisted at Delta while most other carriers have recovered. American Airlines said it was almost back to normal by Saturday. United Airlines had elevated flight disruptions on Sunday with 9% of its schedule canceled, or 260 flights, according to FlightAware, but still below Delta’s.

“I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events,” Bastian said in a message to customers. “Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”

The airline was offering flight attendants extra pay to pick up shifts, a staff memo on Sunday said. The carrier called some of them on their personal phones to come in, according to a person familiar with the matter. High demand during some one of the busiest periods of summer challenged the airline to find alternative flights for affected travelers, Bastian said in his note.

Delta Air Lines has a number of Microsoft tools that were impacted in the outage, “in particular one of our crew tracking-related tools was affected and unable to effectively process the unprecedented number of changes triggered by the system shutdown,” Bastian said in his note.

That would make the event similar to an issue Southwest Airlines suffered, on a much greater scale, at the end of 2022 when it failed to recover from severe winter weather for days.

A botched software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that paralyzed some Windows-based programs also hit the banking and health-care industries.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Business

Household savings are thinning. Here’s how to put money back in your pocket.

People aren’t boosting their savings much even as wages rise and inflation slows.

Households socked away about 3.9% of their disposable income as of May, the latest federal data shows, down from 5.3% in May of last year, when consumer price increases and the job market were both running hotter. Today, the savings rate is back down to around its levels two years ago after falling from pandemic peaks north of 24%, and remains lower than the 7% range in 2019.

Blame it on steep living costs and high interest rates that have made it tough to save in an otherwise strong economy.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Sports

PGA Tour winner and golf broadcaster Mark Carnevale dies at 64

Mark Carnevale, who won the the 1992 Chattanooga Classic and earned PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors that same year, died suddenly on Monday, according to the Tour. He was 64.

Carnevale won just the one tournament but in his career he appeared in 212 PGA Tour tournaments and made another 66 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour.

In 2007, he transitioned to broadcasting, joining Sirius/XM radio on coverage of PGA Tour events. He also covered some tournaments for PGA Tour Live on ESPN+.

Carnevale’s last event was the Genesis Scottish Open two weeks ago. He was scheduled to work this week’s 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.

It was in the 1991 Q school where Carnevale reignited his playing career, rejoining the tour at age 32. In 1994, he fell short of a second win at the Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas, as he was among the five runnersup in a six-man playoff where Neal Lancaster prevailed.

Mark Carnevale in action during the 1998 Greater Milwaukee Open at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Milwaukee. (Getty Images)

“Mark was a beloved part of the Tour family for a long time,’ said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. ‘He was a member of that elite club, a PGA Tour winner, and then he held numerous roles within the industry, most recently as a significant voice in PGA Tour Radio’s coverage. Mark knew the game and did a terrific job of conveying insights from his unique point of view – and with an engaging wit and sense of humor – to fans from countless Tour events through the years. We will miss Mark and send our condolences to his loved ones.”

Carnevale’s dad, Ben, was the men’s basketball coach at North Carolina, where he led the Tar Heels to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1946.

Carnevale played college golf at James Madison. He worked at a brokerage firm upon graduation before returning to golf.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Sports

Trump to appear on pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube show

Former president Donald Trump is scheduled to appear on professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube show Tuesday for a ‘special episode,’ the 2024 U.S. Open winner announced.

DeChambeau posted on X that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee for the 2024 election, will appear on his Break 50 show.

In addition to Trump’s appearance, the golfer’s show will be donating $10,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project for every stroke they score under par, according to the X post.

In a follow-up X post, DeChambeau clarified that the episode ‘is about golf and giving back to our nation’s veterans, not politics.’

‘A few weeks ago I reached out to both parties’ presidential campaigns and @realDonaldTrump was down for the challenge,’ the golfer’s post said. ‘It is an incredible honor to be able to enjoy a round of golf with any sitting or former president, and all have an open invitation to join me for a round of Break 50 anytime.’

DeChambeau wished Trump a ‘speedy recovery’ following assassination attempt

After the assassination attempt on Trump on July 13 during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, DeChambeau voiced his support for the former president on X.

‘Violence deserves no place in this world. Praying for President Trump and his family,’ the golfer said in an X post. ‘Wishing for a speedy recovery.’

How to watch Trump on Break 50?

DeChambeau posts episodes of Break 50 to his YouTube channel, which has over 850,000 subscribers.

During episodes of Break 50, DeChambeau plays rounds of golf with his guests. Previous episodes feature 2017 Masters Tournament champion Sergio Garcia, model Paige Spiranac and golf YouTuber Garrett Clark.

The first video of the show was posted by DeChambeau 10 months ago.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY