New Jersey’s primary election on Tuesday is set to be the most competitive and expensive in the state’s recent history, with both parties preparing for what analysts expect to be a close race in November. The election to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has drawn significant attention as one of only two gubernatorial races this year. 6d5w1f

The Republican primary features Jack Ciattarelli, who nearly unseated Murphy in 2021, facing off against former radio host Bill Spadea. On the Democratic side, six candidates are competing, including Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.

According to Politico, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, during his recent visit to the state, expressed optimism about the Democrats’ chances, stating that “there’s a lot of buyer’s remorse” regarding Trump, which “provides an opportunity to Democrats in this state to expand our coalition, bring people back into the fold who may have left us.” Martin’s comments follow recent polling showing a dip in Trump’s approval in New Jersey. 

Trump’s influence shapes primary dynamics g2l72

Former President Donald Trump’s presence continues to loom large over both primaries, with Republican candidates Ciattarelli and Spadea engaging in ongoing disputes over their loyalty to the former president. Despite Trump’s endorsement of Ciattarelli, the competition has remained fierce, with Trump recently reaffirming his through a telerally and social media posts.

The race has attracted unprecedented financial investment, with candidates and independent expenditure groups collectively spending $120 million. This record-breaking spending is expected to increase further during the general election campaign.

This primary marks the first election without the traditional “county line” ballot layout, which historically gave party-backed candidates advantageous ballot positions. The new office-block format, common across the country, has created opportunities for candidates who lack traditional party to compete more effectively.

The outcome of Tuesday’s election could provide crucial insights into the broader political landscape, particularly regarding the Democratic Party’s direction. The success of either centrist candidates like Gottheimer and Sweeney or progressives such as Baraka and Fulop could indicate potential strategies for Democrats nationwide as they prepare for elections.

Senate Republicans are signaling strong resistance to the House’s state and local tax (SALT) deduction deal, following a Wednesday meeting with former President Donald Trump at the White House. The opposition threatens to unravel a delicate compromise that helped secure crucial votes from moderate Republicans in the House.

According to Politico, Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized the lack of enthusiasm among Republican senators for the SALT provision, stating bluntly that “there really isn’t a single Republican senator who cares much about the SALT issue.” This stance poses a significant challenge to the $353 billion SALT deduction cap agreement that House Speaker Mike Johnson carefully negotiated.

During the White House meeting, Trump appeared mindful of the delicate vote calculations, with Senator Ron Johnson recalling the former president’s cautionary words: “You do this, do we lose three votes here? If you do that, do you lose three votes here">Republican senators from New York, New Jersey, or California, there is little motivation to what he characterized as a subsidy for high-tax states at the expense of others.

Despite their opposition to the SALT compromise, Senate Republicans acknowledge the precarious position of House Speaker Johnson, who must maintain his narrow majority. Senator Todd Young expressed this tension, noting that while the Senate wants to improve the House’s work, they understand the speaker’s limited room for maneuver.

The legislative negotiations are operating under heightened pressure, with Republicans working to meet a July 4 deadline for ing the bill. The timeline has been further complicated by public criticism from Trump ally Elon Musk, who recently labeled the bill an “abomination,” though senators indicated this criticism was treated lightly during the White House meeting.

Former Republican Representative David Jolly has officially filed his candidacy for Florida governor, entering the race as a Democrat after switching parties in April. The well-known Trump critic will attempt to replace term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis in what is expected to be a challenging three-way battle, including Republican and independent candidates.

According to Politico, Jolly, who served one term as a GOP representative from Pinellas County near Tampa, faces an uphill battle in a state that has shifted significantly to the right. Florida, once a prime swing state, was won by Donald Trump by 13 points in 2024, highlighting the increasingly conservative nature of the political landscape.

“Republicans have created it,” Jolly said about Florida’s affordability crisis, which he cites as his primary reason for running. “They’re not doing anything about it, and we will. And that message in every corner of the state, in every conversation, is what resonates.”

Jolly outlines plans to address Florida’s key challenges 52a66

If elected, Jolly plans to expand Medicaid for low-income Floridians and substantially reinvest in public education. He also intends to reverse DeSantis-era laws that protect the governor’s travel and visitors’ log from public scrutiny. While agreeing with DeSantis on the need for property tax reform, Jolly opposes the governor’s complete tax repeal proposal, emphasizing the importance of maintaining funding for safety and education services.

The former representative enters a race where Republican Representative Byron Donalds, who has already raised $12 million in his first month of campaigning and has Trump’s endorsement, stands as the only major Republican candidate. Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is also considering entering the race.

Rather than launching a formal campaign kickoff, Jolly has opted to continue his listening tour across Florida, having already conducted more than a dozen town halls. His campaign strategy includes reaching out to traditionally Democratic-avoiding areas, including agricultural communities and faith groups, to discuss immigration laws and policy issues.

Acknowledging the significant 1.3 million active voter deficit Democrats face compared to Republicans, Jolly emphasizes the need to build a broad coalition that appeals to independents and some Republicans. He distinguishes himself from former Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist by openly acknowledging his evolution on issues such as abortion, climate change, and firearms, stating that he has changed his mind rather than arguing that the party changed.

The Government ability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan federal watchdog with over a century of service to Congress, is facing unprecedented challenges from Republican officials and the Trump istration. The agency, known for investigating wrongdoing and maintaining oversight of federal agencies, has recently become the target of multiple attempts to undermine its authority and independence.

The confrontation intensified when Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attempted to implement downsizing measures at GAO, despite the agency being part of the legislative branch and outside executive order jurisdiction. This move was followed by Senate Republicans dismissing GAO guidance regarding California’s pollution standards.

According to Politico, “The GAO has no role” in determining how the chamber should proceed, declared Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso in response to the California emissions dispute. The statement reflected growing Republican resistance to GAO’s oversight capabilities.

Growing tensions between White House and congressional watchdog 3n2t4j

The conflict escalated when White House budget chief Russ Vought publicly criticized GAO on social media for its findings regarding the istration’s withholding of electric vehicle infrastructure funds. Vought accused the agency of playing “a partisan role” in Trump’s first impeachment, referring to GAO’s conclusion that the istration violated impoundment law by withholding Ukraine aid.

Republican Senator Mike Lee ed the criticism, declaring that “GAO has lost credibility as an independent body” on social media, despite the agency’s history of validating both Republican and Democratic policies. Democratic Senator Adam Schiff countered these claims by noting that over 20 different GAO opinions had been requested by Republican lawmakers in the past three decades.

GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro has responded to the situation by emphasizing the agency’s nonpartisan nature during recent Capitol Hill appearances. While defending the agency’s fiscal 2026 budget request, Dodaro stated that GAO is “not trying to influence things one way or the other” and simply provides answers to congressional inquiries regardless of political affiliation.

The agency continues to face challenges as it maintains its oversight role, particularly regarding potential impoundment violations that could influence lawsuits against the istration for freezing federal funding. GAO spokesperson Jasmine Berry Franklin has affirmed that the agency stands behind its work quality, emphasizing their commitment to delivering nonpartisan, fact-based information to Congress to its constitutional functions and protect the power of the purse.

California Republicans are actively positioning themselves against Kamala Harris in anticipation of her potential run for governor, despite her not yet announcing her candidacy. The former vice president has given herself until late summer to make a decision, but GOP candidates are already launching campaigns focused on what they describe as failed Democratic governance.

According to Politico, conservative pundit Steve Hilton and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco have become early Republican contenders, both using Harris as a focal point of their campaigns and making appearances on Fox News to criticize Democratic leadership in California. The strategy appears to be part of a larger effort to nationalize the governor’s race and attract nationwide attention and funding.

“I sense that this is the best shot for someone to be elected statewide in California who’s not a Democrat for at least 20 years, and I think the evident reason for that is the failure of one-party rule,” Hilton stated, arguing that Harris represents the status quo rather than the change he believes voters want.

Republicans see fundraising potential in Harris’s possible candidacy 6v6z1y

The presence of Harris in the race could potentially solve one of the biggest obstacles facing Republican candidates: fundraising. Political consultant Dave Gilliard suggests that Harris’s candidacy could attract donors from across the country who might otherwise view a California gubernatorial race as unwinnable for Republicans.

The possibility of Elon Musk ending his political giving hiatus has also emerged, given his public criticism of Harris. Additionally, Richard Grenell, a southern California Republican and Trump er, has indicated he might enter the race if Harris runs, potentially tapping into the MAGA base.

Despite Republican optimism, California remains a predominantly Democratic state, with Harris winning 59 percent of the vote against Trump in 2024. However, Republicans point to Harris underperforming compared to Biden’s 2020 results across the state as evidence of potential vulnerability, particularly among centrist and Latino voters.

The Democratic field currently includes former Rep. Katie Porter, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis. The financial disparity between parties in previous races has been substantial, with Democratic Governor Newsom raising $40 million in his 2018 campaign, while his Republican opponent John Cox managed only $11 million from external donors.

While Republicans acknowledge the significant challenges of winning in California, they believe Harris’s candidacy could change the traditional fundraising dynamic. Former California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson compared the situation to congressional races where opponents of high-profile Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy were able to raise substantial funds due to name recognition and opposition motivation.

The Missouri Senate’s late-night approval of a referendum aimed at overturning Amendment 3, a citizen-led measure that secured abortion protections in the state constitution, has sparked intense backlash. This move represents a major escalation in the ongoing fight over reproductive rights in the state, showing how lawmakers are increasingly willing to directly oppose the voters’ decision and the Republican party on this highly divisive issue.

As reported by The Washington Post, Amendment 3 was ed just six months ago by a close margin of 52 percent to 48 percent. It guaranteed the right to make reproductive healthcare decisions, including abortion, up until fetal viability (around 24 weeks). This came after a time when Missouri law only allowed abortions to save the mother’s life, with no exceptions for rape or incest. However, the Republican-controlled legislature quickly moved to reverse this outcome by approving the new referendum.

The ACLU of Missouri said in a statement that, “Missourians proved by ing Amendment 3 at the ballot box [that] people want access to abortion care… literally rewriting the rules… in an attempt to reinstate Missouri’s total abortion ban.” The way the referendum was ed was itself controversial. Republican senators used procedural tactics to cut short debate and ultimately pushed the measure through with a 21-11 vote.

Republicans trying to take down abortion approvals 4h5t1b

The speed of the decision in the final week of the legislative session left almost no time for public input and led to accusations that lawmakers were seizing power. CBS reported on protests breaking out outside the Senate chamber, with demonstrators shouting, “Stop the ban!”

The proposed amendment would severely limit abortion access. While it would allow abortions in cases of medical emergencies, rape, and incest, it would set a strict 12-week limit for the latter two exceptions and require that the crime be reported to law enforcement before the procedure could take place. The amendment would also block public funding for abortions and explicitly ban gender-affirming care for minors.

Republicans have described the previous amendment as a choice between two extremes: a total abortion ban and the much more lenient Amendment 3. They argue that a ban with exceptions for rape and incest would be more acceptable to voters. However, abortion rights ers have strongly rejected this argument, saying the legislature’s actions ignore the 1.5 million Missourians who voted in favor of Amendment 3.

It’s not hard to see why they voted this way, in South Carolina, a woman was forced to carry dead fetus for 4 weeks due to their ban. The ACLU of Missouri released a statement condemning the legislature’s move, stressing that voters had clearly shown their for abortion access. The group accused lawmakers of trying to bring back Missouri’s near-total abortion ban.

Mallory Schwarz, the executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, agreed, saying the referendum shows a lack of respect for the people’s will. On the other hand, Rep. Brian Seitz, a leading er of the legislative effort, argued that the new proposal gives Missourians a more moderate option that fits their values, claiming the previous choices were too extreme.

If ed, the referendum would have a major impact on abortion access in Missouri. While surgical abortions have started again at Planned Parenthood clinics, legal disputes continue over medication abortion, which is now the more common method. The new amendment would likely worsen these legal fights and make abortion much harder to access for many people in the state.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, many states have imposed strict abortion laws. While some states have seen voters ballot measures protecting abortion rights, others, including Missouri, have faced legislative efforts to undo those victories.

A congressional hearing was recently brought to an abrupt end following a spat between Republican politician Keith Self and Democrat William Keating over the misgendering of Sarah McBride. 

The outburst occurred during a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe hearing, when Self incorrectly introduced McBride — the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress — as “Mr. McBride.” The Delaware Democrat quickly shot back with her own intentional misgendering, responding with a “thank you, Madam Chair.” That’s where Keating, the top Democrat on the subcommittee, chimed in with for McBride, asking Self to repeat his introduction correctly. 

Keith Self adjourned a hearing on arms control, security and assistance to Europe after refusing to address Sarah McBride, the first trans person in U.S. Congress, as Madam.

Self refers to McBride as ‘Mr. McBride’, in which she responds with ‘Thank you Madam Chair.’ pic.twitter.com/lGfTvcEr6s

— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 12, 2025

Noticeably agitated, Keating demanded that Self “repeat what you just said when you introduced a duly elected representative from the United States of America, please!” Self again addressed McBride as “Mr.,” prompting further outrage from Keating. “Mr. Chairman, have you no decency?” he asked Self. “I mean, I’ve come to know you a little bit, but this is not decent.” Keating then cut off Self’s attempt to move on, saying he would “not continue with me unless you introduce a duly elected representative the right way.”

Self then abruptly bumped his gavel and declared the hearing adjourned. In the fallout, Self took to social media to reshare a clip of the heated exchange and double-down on his transphobic actions. He pointed to an executive order signed by Donald Trump declaring that there are only two biological sexes, one of many attacks on the trans community launched by his istration. “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female,” Self wrote, clearly misunderstanding that trans women are, in fact, women. 

It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. https://t.co/cVcYdPWa1O

— Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) March 11, 2025

For her part, McBride seemed to vaguely address the controversy in her own social media post, writing that “no matter how I’m treated by some colleagues, nothing diminishes my awe and gratitude at getting to represent Delaware in Congress.” Meanwhile, on social media, McBride received from s who described Self’s behavior as “unprofessional” and praised Keating “for standing up” in McBride’s defence. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time McBride has been subject to Republicans’ bizarre preoccupation with her gender identity. Just last month, McBride was referred to by Mary Miller as the “gentleman from Delaware,” during what was her first-ever speech on the House floor. Before that, McBride was the recipient of consistent attacks by Nancy Mace, who spearheaded efforts to prohibit trans women from using women’s bathrooms on Capitol Hill. Those efforts were later formalized by Speaker Mike Johnson, and exacerbated by hateful social media posts by Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Congresswoman Mary Miller introduces Transgender House member Sarah McBride as 'the gentleman from Delaware, Mr. McBride.’pic.twitter.com/GrUmfOlQhF

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 8, 2025

This Republican-led pile-on is the unfortunate result of the Trump istration’s broader curtailing of trans rights, which has seen the president move to ban trans people from military enlistment, ban trans women from women’s sports, and sign an executive order limiting trans healthcare for youth. Through it all, McBride has avoided taking the Republican rage bait and remained steadfast in her desire to help the people of Delaware.

The grim reality of our national situation is finally settling in for a bulk of American citizens, some of whom used their free expression to elect Donald Trump president.

Now that he’s taken up the position once again — this time with far more preparations in place — Trump is making disastrous move after disastrous move, and the tenor of the country is noticeably dour. Stress is once again spiking, after a brief four-year respite, and it feels like we’re treading water in a very large, and very dangerous, ocean.

Which is prompting a wave of state-side voters from both sides of the political aisle to aim their anger at the U.S. government, and in particular at Democrats. They seem to think that Democrats should be doing more to stop Trump’s promised shift into fascism, and they’ve taken to social media to demand that politicians on the left “do something” to stop Trump.

Unfortunately for them (and the rest of us) its a little late to demand action from our representatives. While there’s certainly still more they can do — and we should always expect our representatives to fight for what’s right — their opportunity to really impact Trump’s plans died with America’s spirit on Nov. 5, 2024. Alongside Trump, a slew of Republicans found massive success in the election, which led to a majority no amount of Democratic maneuvering can compete with.

None of which is stopping outraged Americans from pointing their indignation at exactly the wrong targets. They’re aiming their horror and disgust at Democratic Congresspeople, while the clown show that’s steering the ship continues to laugh in the face of American democracy. Instead of pinning the blame where it naturally lands, people are blasting Democratic leadership and blaming them for failing “the American people.”

And look, I’m all for criticizing the stagnant Democratic hold-ons who should have been out of a job decades ago. I’m sick of dinosaurs making decisions for the rest of us, and I’m even more sick of their careful manipulations within the party, as they seek to retain power. But other Representatives, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are already working hard to fix the system, and no amount of whinging is going to make the U.S. government any less broken.

If people really want someone to yell at, it should be the friends, family , co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances that voted to allow a criminal to become Commander-in-Chief — or didn’t vote at all. It’s the people who paved the way for this hellscape we’re currently living in who really deserve an earful, but — in some cases, at least — they’re instead among those same people calling for our elected leadership to do more.

And the Democrats should do more, don’t get me wrong. I also want them to do absolutely everything in their power to stop Trump, to impeach the tangerine tyrant, and to block his criminal policies before they become a terrifying reality. Those that are complaining, rather than doing something, do deserve criticism, but so does every single American who whines without taking their own advice.

Let’s all be part of the solution, rather than the problem. Take your outrage off of social media and into places it counts. Call your representatives, demand action, or change, or that they “do something” on a local level. Or better yet, you do something. Go out into your communities and be the change you’re so desperate to see in this world. Or take the ambitious route and pull a Tim Walz or AOC — run for Congress, and make it your responsibility to “do something” productive for this nation.

Politics seem to be seeping into every possible corner of our lives, from everyday interactions to even the most lighthearted of social media.

Information has long been an issue in the era of the internet, but it’s not an easy problem to solve. It’s a double edged sword: The web provides people everywhere with far better access to information, but parsing which information is reliable can confuse even the most adept s. It largely comes down to who to trust, something that’s etched a line between reputable sources and notorious misinformation spreaders.

While we all know that there’s very little left that’s trustworthy on NotTwitter, Elon Musk’s social media cesspool, Mark Zuckerberg‘s Facebook has always been a different beast. Once a purely personal source of connection, now a far more widespread social media site, Facebook occupied a strange territory for years where news was concerned.

There’s no denying Musk’s clearly right-leaning tendencies, but Zuckerberg isn’t quite so obvious. He’s made moves in the past that seemingly orient him with Democrats, but in more recent years — particularly 2024 — he seemed to align himself far more with Donald Trump. It appears he may have switched political sides at some point in the last decade or so, but does Zucks actually identify as a Republican?

Is Mark Zuckerberg a Republican or a Democrat? 2h4g24

Optics are well and good, but they only tell us a portion of the story. There’s plenty of evidence indicating that Zuckerberg has shifted political parties in recent years, but the Facebook founder himself will almost certainly deny any blatant political sway to the right or the left.

That doesn’t make it true, of course. Zuckerberg has stated on several occasions that he is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, and while he is a ed voter, he’s not d with either party. Which, on paper, makes him a fully independent voter who likely makes decisions on an election-by-election basis.

But the shifting priorities of the Facebook CEO tell a different story. Zuckerberg’s political activity was defined, around a decade back, by his work with Forward U.S., a group aiming to find a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a distinctly Democrat-leaning objective. But he’s also put his money toward both Democrats and Republicans in the past, donating to campaigns on both sides of the aisle.

It would have seemed, back in 2013, that Zuckerberg was an actually bipartisan citizen looking to donate to those who champion efforts he’s invested in. But in 2024, those optics have changed, and Zuckerberg’s motivations seem far more centered around something near and dear to Trump’s own heart: money. The changes he’s making on Facebook (who needs fact checkers when you have alternative facts!), the meetings he’s taking, and the people he’s ing all point to a major shift in Zuckerberg’s politics, but not a surprising one.

Ol’ Zuck is simply following the path so many have embarked on before. He was middle of the road for years, but now he’s a billionaire. He’s incredibly wealthy, and the Democrats aren’t aiming to benefit the mega-wealthy. But you know who is? Mega-wealthy Trump, who has historically ensured that people like Zuckerberg come out better at the end of his presidency than they entered it.

So it’s little surprise to see Zuckerberg announcing new aims and shifting his ideals in a distinctly Trumpian direction. He’ll likely never fess up to being a Republican, because he’s really not. He’s a billionaire, regardless of political leaning, and he’s simply putting his interests first, just like all the other billionaires out there.

Donald Trump‘s political stylings are so erratic and internally motivated they can be hard to pin down, but the man’s motivations couldn’t be more clear.

The Republican candidate is a demagogue with goals of becoming a dictator, and a huge factor behind his continued success is a lack of pressure. Sure, the left puts pressure on him, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz put pressure on him, but not a single person coaxed into Trump’s inner circle pushes back on anything the former president says.

As a result, there are no checks on his increasingly unhinged behavior, which leaves Trump to spiral out of control as he realizes, achingly slowly, how narrow his shot at the White House is becoming. He refuses to engage in another debate with Harris, after she soundly trounced him the first time around, he rejects the opportunity to appear in hard-hitting interviews, something Harris has readily taken on, and he surrounds himself with hopeless sycophants who would die before criticizing their ghastly god king.

Trump hasn’t faced a hard question since the second debate, and he’s spent the bulk of this election cycle labeling any negative responses as “fake news” or spurred on by “lyin’ Kamala.” Which is what made a recent Univision Town Hall appearance so satisfying to watch, as an undecided voter makes up his mind in real time. That voter, uned Republican Ramiro González, posed a straightforward question to Trump, after noting that he’s providing the Republican candidate with a chance to “win back” his vote.

“Your action, and maybe inaction, during your presidency and the last few years… was a little disturbing to me,” González starts off. “What happened during January 6, and that fact that you waited so long to take action while your ers were attacking the Capitol, Coronavirus — I thought the public was misled during Coronavirus — and that many more lives could have been saved if we would have been informed better.”

González goes on to reference the numerous people from Trump’s previous istration “who don’t ” the former president, including former VP Mike Pence. “I’m curious how people so close to you and your istration no longer want to you, so why would I want to you"> function myFunc(currentPage, tableId) { let loading = true; let data = { action: 'azp_product_table__pagination_ajax', route: 'get_formated_products', currentPage: currentPage, tableID: tableId, } let loader = '

Billionaire Mark Cuban wants to buy Fox News and X after exiting his decade-long role in ABC’s Shark Tank. Oh, and he has quite some things to say about the elections.

The 2024 U.S. Presidential elections have brought several celebrities and public figures to the spotlight for engaging with the ongoing campaigns. After the “star”-studded attendance at the RNC and actual star-studded DNC 2024, and an endless stream of political endorsements flooding social media, we have a fair idea of where America’s political inclinations lie. With each ing day, we’re seeing new faces the list.

The latest buzz in town is about the American billionaire investor and businessman Mark Cuban, a staunch er of libertarianism who nonetheless believes paying more taxes is the most patriotic thing someone can do.

Apart from his obviously flourishing business and investments, Cuban has been religiously involved in philanthropy and political commentary for a long time through his blog. And in the wake of elections, the billionaire has announced his loyalties.

Is Mark Cuban a Republican? t1u4e

With the 2024 elections looming, Cuban isn’t shy about sharing his views on the political landscape. But thus far, his opinion and actions have been fairly confusing for people to fit into a single color. Take 2012, for instance: Cuban donated $7,000 to political campaigns, with $6,000 going to Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, and $1,000 to Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. Talk about having two feet in two boats.

Then, in 2015, Cuban said that he would “prefer to be a Republican,” but also brought up his disagreement with the Republicans on most social issues. He also highlighted the rigid party structure, but called Trump “the best thing to happen” to politics in a long time. (via Yahoo!) However, his views on the former president changed quickly.

Cuban has not been shy about his disdain for Donald Trump in recent years, and makes sure to keep this in public notice. How, you ask? In the most hilarious ways. When Trump famously offered $5 million to a charity of Barack Obama’s choice in exchange for releasing Obama’s college transcripts and port records in Nov. 2012, Cuban fired back with his offer—$1 million for Trump to shave his head. But we can at least attest that Mark Cuban is not a Republican.

Mark Cuban says he’s an independent voter, but endorses Democratic candidates repeatedly 3y4g53

A year after calling him the “best thing to happen to politics,” Cuban called Trump the biggest “jagoff” while ing the Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton for president during the 2016 presidential elections. In the following elections in 2020, Cuban again voiced his for former Vice President and Democrat leader Joe Biden. Seems like the businessman has chosen a side to stick to, finally?

Although Mark Cuban continues to call himself an independent voter, his political loyalties seem to side with the Democrats recently.

In an X post on Thursday, Sept. 5, Cuban endorsed and called the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris “the only candidate in Founder Mode.” (via Business Insider) But before you think it’s an innocent endorsement, Cuban has also put his name forward to head the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a Kamala Harris istration. Similar to how he wanted to become Trump’s vice president ahead of the 2016 elections. (via Business Insider)

A strange technological outage struck Milwaukee during the 2024 Republican National Convention, leaving a very specific sect of app s at a loss.

The dating app Grindr crashed, and crashed hard, while ers of Donald Trump gathered to witness a lineup of far-right figures in mid-July, leaving s in the area facing broad blackouts. The app, which bills itself as “the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people,” seems to have found plenty of interest among attendees — so much so, in fact, that it couldn’t keep up with demand.

Why did Grindr crash during the RNC? 62q6x

The 2024 Republican National Convention kicked off on Monday, July 15, and lasted through Thursday, July 18. The event served as a pilgrimage for a number of avid Trump ers, a huge number of whom flocked to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to attend the convention in person.

And, seemingly as a result of this influx of Republican voters to the state, by Tuesday, July 16, gay dating app Grindr was grinding to a halt. By 4pm Tuesday afternoon, more than 1,000 s had reported outages across Milwaukee, and for many the issues persisted across the entire week that the RNC was in attendance.

How many new s signed onto Grindr during the RNC? 1t3fl

There’s no concrete reporting on just how many fresh s flooded to Grindr during the RNC, but one interviewed by Newsweek noted a real uptick in anonymous s. They noted that Grindr typically sees those looking for a “fling” create s with insubstantial images — often things like a torso shot with no head included — in hopes of communicating their non-committal aims.

A real surge in s of this kind hit the city during its influx of Republicans, with a minimum of 50 fresh s noted by the Newsweek source. It was likely a fair few more than that — particularly considering the source’s ission that “he stopped counting at 50 anonymous profiles” — but it seems even a few dozen more than usual can be enough to interrupt Conservative’s plans for a fun evening out.