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Philippines bans gambling operations catered to illicit Chinese players

The Philippines has announced plans to ban offshore gaming operators, targeting an industry that mostly caters to Chinese gamblers and has sparked growing alarm from law enforcement over its alleged connections to organized crime.

Known locally as POGOs, Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators have spawned across the country, both licensed and illicit, employing tens of thousands of Chinese and foreign nationals.

But in a state of the nation address Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a total shutdown of the industry.

“Effective today, all POGOs are banned,” Marcos said to a standing ovation from lawmakers as he underlined the growing concern in the Philippines over the explosion of the offshore casino industry.

“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming, such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture – even murder. The grave abuse and disrespect to our system of laws must stop,” Marcos added.

The ban comes as Marcos takes an increasingly hard line against Chinese-linked operations amid simmering diplomatic tensions between Manila and Beijing over their competing claims in the South China Sea.

But China’s government is likely to welcome the move. Gambling is banned in China – with the exception of Macao – and Beijing has recently clamped down on cross-border gambling, especially across Southeast Asia.

There are 46 licensed offshore gaming operators and dozens more illicit gambling hubs in the Philippines, according to the country’s gaming regulator, which Marcos has ordered to close by the end of the year.

The POGO sector emerged in the Philippines in 2016 under Marcos’ relatively China-friendly predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who critics say turned a blind eye to suspected illicit activities as the industry brought billions of pesos to state coffers.

Since then, the Philippines has become a major hub for online gaming catering to tens of thousands of players based in China.

In recent years, Southeast Asia has seen a surge of online scam syndicates raking in huge profits from victims around the world, including in China and the United States. During the coronavirus pandemic, many illicit casinos pivoted to scams when visitors dried up as borders closed.

Many of those working for these scam syndicates are themselves victims of human trafficking.

Some POGOs are based in abandoned malls, while others are found in converted parking lots or cheap rented offices that have come under increasing scrutiny from authorities in Manila, who say many are fronts for scam centers and other crimes.

In March, more than 800 Filipinos, Chinese and other nationals were rescued in a police raid of an online romance scam center posing as a casino about 100 kilometers north of the capital, the official Philippine News Agency reported, citing local authorities.

Last month, the Chinese embassy in Manila said it appealed to the Philippines to ban POGO “to root out this social ill,” adding it had assisted Philippine authorities in shutting down five offshore gambling centers and repatriated nearly 1,000 Chinese citizens over the past year.

In March, China’s embassy in Singapore warned its citizens in the city state to avoid all forms of betting, reiterating that gambling overseas violates Chinese laws.

“Even if overseas casinos are legally opened, cross-border gambling by Chinese citizens is suspected of violating the laws of our country,” the embassy said in a statement.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Hamas and Fatah sign agreement in Beijing ‘ending’ their division, Chinese state media says

Palestinian factions including rivals Hamas and Fatah have signed an agreement on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity,” Chinese broadcaster CCTV said Tuesday, following a deal brokered by China.

The announcement followed reconciliation talks involving 14 Palestinian factions in Beijing starting Sunday, according to state media, which come as Israel wages war against militant group Hamas in Gaza and as China has sought to take up a role as a peace broker in the conflict.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the agreement was “dedicated to the great reconciliation and unity of all 14 factions.”

“The core outcome is that the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) is the sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people,” Wang said, adding that “an agreement has been reached on post Gaza war governance and the establishment of a provisional national reconciliation government.”

It was unclear from Wang’s comments what role Hamas, which is not part of the PLO, would play, or what the immediate impact of any agreement would be. The talks were held as the future governance of Palestinian territories remains in question as Israel’s current leadership have vowed to eradicate Hamas, following the group’s October 7 terrorist attack.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is a coalition of parties that signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1993, and formed a new government in the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Fatah dominates both the PLO and the PA, the interim Palestinian government that was established in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after the 1993 agreement known as the Oslo Accords was signed. Hamas does not recognize Israel.

There is a long history of bitter enmity between Hamas in Gaza and Fatah. The two sides have tried – and failed – multiple times to reach an agreement to unite the two separate Palestinian territories under one governance structure, with a 2017 agreement quickly folding in violence.

The PA held administrative control over Gaza until 2007, after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied territories and expelled it from the strip. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza and the PA governs parts of the West Bank.

At a press conference Tuesday in Beijing, Hamas delegation representative Mousa Abu Marzook said they had reached an agreement to complete a “course of reconciliation,” while also using the platform in Beijing to defend the group’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

“We’re at a historic junction. Our people are rising up in their efforts to struggle,” Abu Marzook said, according to a translation provided by China’s Foreign Ministry, adding that the October 7 operation had “changed a lot, both in international and regional landscape.”

The agreement comes as Beijing – which has sought to increase its influence and ties in the Middle East in recent years – has presented itself as a leading voice for countries across the Global South decrying Israel’s war in Gaza and calling for Palestinian statehood.

Beijing has not explicitly condemned Hamas for its October 7 attack on Israel.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May decried “tremendous sufferings” in the Middle East and called for an international peace conference as leaders from Arab nations visit Beijing, even as observers have questioned the extent of Beijing’s geopolitical clout in a region where the US has long been a dominant power.

The agreement was also inked as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the United States for a highly anticipated visit in which he will meet top US officials and address Congress.

Israel launched its military operations in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed more than 1,100 people and saw roughly 250 others kidnapped. Around 39,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s war in Gaza that has triggered a mass humanitarian crisis and widespread destruction.

Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo in October 2017 under pressure from the Arab states, led by Egypt. Under the deal, a new unity government was supposed to take administrative control of Gaza two months later, ending a decade of rivalry that began when Hamas violently evicted the Palestinian Authority from Gaza in 2007.

But the deal’s lofty aspirations quickly collapsed. When Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah visited Gaza in March 2018, he was the target of an assassination attempt when a bomb detonated near his convoy. Hamdallah’s Fatah party immediately blamed Hamas for the attack.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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UK’s first teenager to receive ‘bladder pacemaker’ is loving her ‘new-found freedom’

A 17-year-old has become the first teenager in the UK to receive a “bladder pacemaker”.

Jenny Allan, from Thanet in Kent, has a rare condition which means she is unable to pass urine and had to self-catheterise at least six times a day.

But the treatment – known as bladder neuromodulation – has enabled her to have a “whole new freedom”.

It is the first time the procedure has been offered to children and teenagers, having been available to adults with bladder conditions for more than 20 years.

“I’m a very outdoorsy person and will be studying ecology at university in September, and hope to get a job in that field,” Jenny said.

“If I’m lucky I could end up trekking through a rainforest or counting penguins in the Antarctic.

“This operation has meant that I won’t need to self-catheterise six times a day. Doing so is quite difficult even on a day hike in the Kent Downs where there aren’t toilet facilities every few hours, let alone in the middle of a rainforest or up a mountain.

“The operation has allowed me to have a whole new freedom and be able to do what I want in my life.”

During the operation, an electrical stimulator device – similar to a pacemaker, is surgically implanted into a patient’s lower back.

The device sends electrical impulses to prevent incorrect or unwanted nerve messages going to the bladder.

This includes messages that cause urinary incontinence or a person not being able to empty their bladder without a catheter.

Jenny, who has a condition similar to Fowler’s syndrome – a rare condition that typically causes urinary retention in young women – had the procedure at Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

The clinic will offer the procedure to other young people with rare bladder conditions who have not responded to standard treatment.

On being the first teenager to have the operation in the UK, Jenny added: “It’s quite cool… I’m loving my new-found freedom of not being reliant on carrying catheters with me all day.”

Arash Taghizadeh, consultant paediatric urologist and lead for the bladder neuromodulation service at Evelina London, said: “It’s great that we’re able to offer [bladder neuromodulation] to children and young people to improve their symptoms, giving them greater independence over their daily lives.”

Barbara Kasumu, executive director of Evelina London Children’s Charity, added that the organisation is “proud” to have funded the service.

This post appeared first on sky.com

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Kenyan protesters vow to seize country’s main airport as deadly unrest continues into sixth week

Protesters in Kenya have vowed “a total shutdown” as they seize control of Nairobi’s main international airport on Tuesday as deadly anti-government demonstrations intensify, now entering their sixth week.

At least 50 people have been killed during the protests and more than 400 injured, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

Widely shared social media posters encourage protesters to close all roads leading to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and cause a “total shutdown.”

Authorities said in a statement on Monday night that they increased security at the airport and warned against trespassing on protected areas, saying it was an offense punishable by law.

“We urge all individuals participating in demonstrations to respect these legal provisions from attempting to enter or interfere with protected areas,” acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said.

The youth-led protests began last month after national outrage about a controversial finance bill that would have dramatically raised taxes on basic commodities.

After President William Ruto was forced to pull the bill, demonstrators shifted their attention to protesting against his legitimacy, corruption in his government and police brutality.

Renewed anger

Ruto on Friday renominated six ministers after he fired the entire cabinet last month due to public pressure, reigniting public anger over their renomination.

The cabinet nominees still need parliamentary approval, but they’re likely to be confirmed since Ruto’s party holds the required majority.

On Sunday, the president expressed frustration with the protests, declaring that “enough is enough” after failed attempts at dialogue.

“Going forward, we will protect the nation. We will protect life, property, we will stop the looters, killers, mayhem and anarchy because Kenya is a democracy, and we want a peaceful, stable nation,” Ruto said.

The protesters have largely organized on TikTok, X and other social media platforms by mostly Gen-Z citizens who have refused to identify a leader, drawing anger from Ruto.

“They keep saying they’re faceless, formless. I’ve told them I’ve given a chance to everybody to say whatever they want. It cannot continue like this,” Ruto added.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

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Who will pay for the worst IT outage the world has seen?

After the chaos of Friday’s global IT outage – without doubt the worst the world has seen – questions are starting to be asked about who, if anyone, will pick up the bill.

Somewhat surprisingly, particularly given its share price has doubled during the year and was trading on a stratospheric rating, shares of CrowdStrike, the company at the heart of the outage, fell by only 11% having been down by twice as much during pre-market trade.

That suggests investors are reasonably confident that the company, previously a darling of Wall Street, will be able to salvage its reputation after this disaster and, more importantly, is not going to be on the hook for compensation.

There are several reasons for this.

The first is that it is impossible, this soon after the outage, to establish the sheer quantum of losses arising from it.

Secondly, even if a business or an individual consumer has been affected by the outage, it will not necessarily be straightforward to prove that any losses incurred were as a result of the outage.

Thirdly, there is an expectation that CrowdStrike will be covered by insurance.

Claiming for air travel losses

Among the heaviest losses are likely to be in the aviation industry as it appears to have been the sector most badly affected.

Even here, though, claiming for losses is unlikely to be clear-cut and especially for airline passengers.

One key issue here is where passengers were looking to travel to and from – with the rules differing between the US and the EU on what compensation is available. It will also be unclear who passengers look to claim from.

While refunds should ordinarily be sought in the first instance from the airlines themselves, the airlines – as the consumer advocacy group Which? pointed out – may argue that they are not obliged to pay compensation for delayed or cancelled flights because these were “extraordinary circumstances”.

That may leave some passengers who booked via a credit card having to see whether they enjoy recoverable cost protection. Expect, also, rows over whether passengers with travel insurance enjoyed travel disruption cover – which not all such policies do.

Insurers themselves suffered some of the worst share price declines on the back of the outage. Among the biggest fallers on the FTSE-100 yesterday was Beazley, the Lloyd’s of London insurer, which provides insurance against business interruption and cyber security attacks. Also lower was its peer Hiscox.

Yet the latter’s experience during the pandemic – when it was slammed by small businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, for not paying out on some business interruption policies – is a guide to what may happen here.

Hiscox and some of its peers argued that the wording of these policies did not oblige them to pay out.

Although a negotiated settlement was achieved under the auspices of the courts and the Financial Conduct Authority, some businesses were left out of pocket. It would be startling were the insurers not to have learned from that episode and tightened up on policy wording.

So it is by no means certain that the losses incurred from this event are even insured. Where they are, it will probably be under a cyber policy specifically covering a loss of income due to an interruption in the service of a third-party provider.

The wording might also specifically refer to a malicious attack on a software or IT services provider and also to the amount of time that a system has been down. Many such insurance policies only cover losses after a system has been out of service for between six to 12 hours.

Financial services compensation

Another key area for compensation is likely to be in the financial services sector even though it seems not to have been too badly affected.

Some brokerages around the world – most notably in India, where markets were active when the outage first struck – are said to be facing compensation claims from clients who incurred losses because they were not able to get out of their positions.

However, disruption to financial markets was kept to a minimum, as Jennifer McKeown, chief global economist at Capital Economics, told clients yesterday: “Those sectors operating with strong IT support systems will be best placed to experience only minor, short-lived effects.

“This might explain why there has been little impact on financial markets so far – note, for example, that the London Stock Exchange claims to have been almost unaffected.”

She said another reason for the muted impact in markets was because George Kurtz, the founder and chief executive of CrowdStrike, had ruled out the possibility of a cyber attack.

That said, analysts still expect a considerable hit to CrowdStrike itself, not least in terms of the cost in rectifying the problem and subsequently investing to rebuild its reputation. The company had a famously large marketing budget.

‘There will be financial consequences’

As Keith Bachman, senior research analyst at BMO Capital Markets, told clients: “We believe there will be financial consequences from this issue.

“As one example, we think customers will be seeking relief and compensation from damages, which we think could include discounts or credits for both new contracts and renewals.

“Hence, we think there could be an impact on growth rates and cash.”

Some analysts, though, think the broader IT sector could benefit from the outage as customers rush to invest in continuity preparation.

Shaun Eyal, managing director and senior analyst covering the communications, security, and infrastructure software sectors at broker TD Cowen, said: “Enterprises are likely to examine their incident response capabilities and the need to carry backup plans.

“We envision an emergency-driven spending cycle.”

So it is far from clear what the financial consequences of this outage will be – less still who will pick up the tab.

It is a noted phenomenon that, after a notorious gun crime in the US, sales of guns go up and, with them, shares in manufacturers of firearms and ammunition.

It would be similarly ironic were the IT sector to benefit from increased spending by clients following this outage.

This post appeared first on sky.com

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How Donald Trump sneaked up on me and a bunch of new friends in Milwaukee

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the kindness and good nature of the local denizens were much talked about by attendees. But there was something else in the air: A new kind of openness to Donald Trump. 

I spent a lot of time outside the security perimeter, or ‘zone,’ as it was locally known, because I generally prefer talking to people who aren’t wearing lanyards and credentials for my work.

I stopped by the Milwaukee Brat Bar near the RNC entrance a few times, mainly because they have a cigarette machine, and my vice of choice was hard to find in the area.

There, one afternoon, I was getting change and I heard a man and a woman talking. They were in their thirties, nice looking. I couldn’t tell if they were a couple, coworkers or friends. And then I heard her say, ‘It’s like I’m coming around to Trump.’

For me, this kind of comment was like a ’49er striking gold, so I politely introduced myself and inquired if I might I ask them a few questions.

I wanted to know when this softening of attitude towards the former president had started. She wasn’t sure. She thought it had been gradual, but that the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump had built on it. As for the guy, he told me he had not voted for Trump in 2016 or 2020. I asked if he had been open to it back then, and he said no. And in ’24? Yes, he was now.

It didn’t seem policy driven, or even the ‘are you better off than you were four years ago?’ thing. It was more like finding a way to tolerate an annoying member of your friend group. Trump was no longer a dealbreaker for a dinner party invitation.

The next day, grabbing lunch at Who’s on Third, I met Jay and Jeff, who are both very committed Trump supporters. Jay, in advertising and in his fifties, had been coming down to the zone for lunch every day to dig the goings on.

Their enthusiasm was high. Both thought the iconic image of Trump pumping his fist after getting shot was a game changer. They almost seemed giddy at the prospect of a second Trump term.

One question I have asked strong Trump supporters over the years is whether the people they work with know how the feel about him. Both Jeff and Jay said they weren’t shy about it now, but acknowledged they used to be. I hear that a lot.

Trump just isn’t taboo anymore, and one has to wonder if that might be part of why Joe Biden is no longer in this race.

My most personal acquaintance with Milwaukee kindness came one evening when my friends stranded me. I had been to dinner, and told my crew prior to dinner to let me know when they were heading back to the hotel. After dinner, I texted ‘where are you?’ 

They were at the hotel. 

It wasn’t the end of the world. I’d take an Uber, but I was out of cigarettes and went back into Brats. There I met Scott and Lizzie, a married couple who looked like they belonged in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, electroclash night club in 2004, not like the RNC cats at all.

But they were Trump supporters, so we got to talking and I told them my story. That’s when Scott glanced at an approving Lizzie and they offered me a ride.

In a very Northeast way I said, ‘I can’t ask ya to do dat, it’s a half hour.’

He said, ‘You’re not asking, we’re offering.’  And I said, ‘You know what? Ok.’ I think it was the most Midwestern thing I’d ever heard uttered.

On the way back to the hotel, an incredible thunderstorm rattled giant flashes of lightning that dominated the skies. This truly was the flat and honest middle of America. We chatted about our kids, the amazing joy and challenge of all that. We also played a game I invented back in the 90s based on the sitcom ‘Friends.’ Lizzie won.

But politics did come up, and it turned out all three of us had had a slow acceptance of Trump. We talked about how his newly minted running mate, JD Vance, had been a Never Trumper. It seemed like all of us, or at least most of us, had been. Fully embracing him was so new, and so crazy, we agreed. But it was also a natural evolution many people have gone through. 

I told them a story about the night of the election in 2016 when I asked a mentor of mine, ‘What do we do now?’ And he said, ‘You call balls and strikes. He does something you like – say so, something you don’t like – say so.’

Lizzie, Scott and I all agreed there was more that we liked than we didn’t.

When I got back to the hotel and told my friends what happened, one said it was the most Dave Marcus story ever, and maybe so. But it’s really just an American story. I’ve gotten plenty of rides from strangers in Texas, California, and a million other places because we liked each other. 

But I felt something new in Wisconsin. Trump just isn’t taboo anymore, and one has to wonder if that might be part of why Joe Biden is no longer in this race.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

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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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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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Harris hauls in $81 million in first 24 hours since Biden bowed out

Vice President Harris raised $81 million in the first 24 hours since President Biden ended his re-election bid and endorsed his vice president to succeed him as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, her campaign announced.

The Harris campaign touted in an email release on Monday afternoon that the money raised was the ‘largest 24-hour raise in presidential history.’

The campaign said more than 888,000 grassroots donors made contributions during the 24 hours, with 60% of them making their first contribution during the 2024 election cycle. And the campaign says it signed up 43,000 of those donors to make recurring donations.

But the Harris campaign did not offer a breakdown of what percentage of the $81 million was raised online by small-dollar donations and what share came from top-dollar donors. The haul includes money raised by the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees.

‘The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections,’ campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement. ‘Already, we are seeing a broad and diverse coalition come together to support our critical work of talking to the voters that will decide this election.’

The one-day haul easily tops the nearly $53 million former President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee announced that they brought in nearly two months ago through their online digital fundraising platform in the first 24 hours after Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in his criminal trial in New York City.

The Harris fundraising announcement comes as the party started to quickly coalesce behind the vice president after Biden ended his bid. The president endorsed Harris immediately after suspending his own campaign, which ignited a surge of endorsements by Democrat governors, senators, House members and other party leaders in backing the vice president to succeed Biden as the party’s 2024 standard-bearer.

Biden on Sunday suspended his campaign amid mounting pressure from within the Democratic Party for the president to drop out after a disastrous debate performance last month.

The 81-year-old president’s uneven delivery and awkward answers during the first 20 minutes of the debate in front of a national audience quickly prompted questions about his mental and physical ability to serve another four years in the White House.

The money brought in over the past 24 hours by Harris will help rebuild a once-massive Biden campaign war chest that was partially depleted as fundraising started to dry up amid the increasing chorus of calls for the president to drop out of the race.

Munoz said in a statement that ‘there is a groundswell behind Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump is terrified because he knows his divisive, unpopular agenda can’t stand up to the Vice President’s record and vision for the American people.’

The Biden campaign and the DNC enjoyed a fundraising lead over Trump and the RNC this year. But Trump and the RNC topped Biden and the DNC, $331 million to $264 million, during the April-June second quarter of 2024 fundraising.

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Biden makes bizarre call in to Harris headquarters hours after dropping out of race

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.’

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