IT WAS A WEEKEND FULL OF BIG RALLIES, BIG SPEECHES AND BIG NAMES – AS REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AIMED THEIR SIGHTS ON UNDECIDED VOTERS WITH JUST OVER A WEEK TO GO UNTIL ELECTION DAY – HOPING CELEBRITIES AND WELL-KNOWN FIGURES WILL GET HELP GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT.
AFTER RECORDING A THREE-HOUR LONG PODCAST WITH JOE ROGAN ON FRIDAY AND SPEAKING AT AN EVENT IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA SATURDAY – FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP HELD A RALLY SUNDAY NIGHT AT NEW YORK CITY’S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN —
TRUMP WAS JOINED BY HIGH PROFILE NAMES – LIKE TESLA CEO ELON MUSK, FORMER FOX NEWS HOST TUCKER CARLSON, PRO WRESTLING SUPERSTAR HULK HOGAN, AND FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ROBERT F. KENNEDY.
ONE GUEST WHO WAS NOT LISTED AS AN EXPECTED SPEAKER – SURPRISING THE MSG CROWD—FORMER FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP – WHO INTRODUCED HER HUSBAND.
MELANIA TRUMP | FORMER FIRST LADY
“Let us charge together with a shared vision that builds on American greatness. Let’s seize this moment and create a country for tomorrow — the future that we deserve.”
THE FORMER PRESIDENT THEN TOOK THE STAGE – SPEAKING FOR OVER AN HOUR – TELLING HIS SUPPORTERS WHY A SECOND TRUMP PRESIDENCY WOULD BE BETTER THAN A HARRIS ADMINISTRATION.
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
“On issue after issue, Kamala broke it, but I will fix it. And we’re going to fix it….why didn’t you do this stuff?”
MEANWHILE VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WAS JOINED BY BEYONCE AT A RALLY IN HOUSTON ON FRIDAY AND FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA DURING A STOP IN MICHIGAN ON SATURDAY.
MICHELLE OBAMA | FORMER FIRST LADY
“So Michigan with all that being said, I got to ask myself why on earth is this race even close. I lay awake at night wondering, what in the world is going on? …Are we ready for this moment?”
IN PHILADELPHIA, HOLLYWOOD STARS LEONARDO DI CAPRIO AND ROBERT DE NIRO STUMPING FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT OVER THE WEEKEND. HARRIS THEN SPEAKING AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT IN PHILLY SUNDAY – TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ELECTION.
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS
“We know this is going to be a tight race…we will win.”
TODAY – ANOTHER RALLY WILL BE HELD IN PHILADELPHIA IN SUPPORT OF VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.
ONE PARTICULAR MOMENT FROM FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S madison square garden RALLY IS MAKING HEADLINES THIS MORNING — BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS INTENDING.
BEFORE THE FORMER PRESIDENT TOOK THE STAGE SUNDAY NIGHT, COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER TONY HINCHCLIFFE WAS ONE OF THE SPEAKERS WHO ADDRESSED THE CROWD.
TONY HINCHCLIFFE | COMEDIAN
IN HIS REMARKS – HINCHCLIFFE FOCUSED HIS ATTENTION ON THE UNITED STATES TERRORITY OF PUERTO RICO.
“THERE’S A LOT GOING ON. I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS BUT THERE’S LITERALLY A FLOATING ISLAND OF GARBAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN RIGHT NOW. I THINK IT’S CALLED PUERTO RICO. OK ALRIGHT. I DON’T NORMALLY FOLLOW THE NATIONAL ANTHEM EVERYBODY THIS ISN’T EXACTLY THE PERFECT COMEDY SETUP.”
IN RESPONSE TO THE COMEDIAN’S COMMENT – TRUMP CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER DANIELLE ALVAREZ ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING QUOTE“THIS JOKE DOES NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP OR THE CAMPAIGN.”
HINCHCLIFFE’S COMMENT DREW INSTANT CRITICISM FROM DEMOCRATS AS WELL AS REPUBLICANS INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF PUERTO RICO. PROMINENT PUERTO RICAN FIGURES INCLUDING ENTERTAINERS, JENNIFER LOPEZ, BAD BUNNY AND RICKY MARTIN – ALL POSTED SUPPORT FOR KAMALA HARRIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE GOVERNOR TIM WALZ AND CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ REACTED TO HINCHCLIFFE DURING A LIVESTREAM OF THE EVENT.
GOV. TIM WALZ | D-MN, VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
“People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay taxes and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else.”
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ | D-NY
“It’s super upsetting. My family is from Puerto Rico. I’m Puerto Rican.”
HINCHCLIFFE LATER RESPONDED ON SOCIAL MEDIA – SAYING IN PART “THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR. WILD THAT A VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WOULD TAKE TIME OUT OF HIS “BUSY SCHEDULE” TO ANALYZE A JOKE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT TO MAKE IT SEEM RACIST. I LOVE PUERTO RICO AND VACATION THERE. I MADE FUN OF EVERYONE…WATCH THE WHOLE SET.”
IN THE MIDDLE EAST– IRAQ IS NOW ACCUSING ISRAEL OF VIOLATING ITS AIRSPACE WHEN IT CARRIED OUT A SERIES OF STRIKES ON IRAN OVER THE WEEKEND.
IN A STATEMENT RELEASED MONDAY MORNING, AN IRAQI GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON SAID IRAQ HAS SENT A LETTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO CONDEMN THE PURPORTED BREACH.
ON SATURDAY — ISRAEL STRUCK MILITARY TARGETS INSIDE IRAN IN RESPONSE TO IRANIAN MISSILE ATTACKS ON ISRAEL EARLIER THIS MONTH.
IRAN HAS ALSO CLAIMED ISRAEL USED IRAQI AIRSPACE TO CARRY OUT THE ATTACKS — AND ACCUSED THE U-S OF BEING **IN ON IT**.
AMERICAN OFFICIALS HAVE SAID ISRAEL **DID NOTIFY** THE U-S ABOUT THE STRIKES — BUT THE U-S WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED.
ACCORDING TO THE IRAQI STATEMENT, IRAQ’S PRIME MINISTER HAS TOLD THE COUNTRY’S FOREIGN MINISTRY TO RAISE THE ALLEGED ISRAELI VIOLATION WITH U-S OFFICIALS.
MEANTIME IN GAZA OVER THE WEEKEND — AN ISRAELI STRIKE KILLED SEVERAL PEOPLE AT A SCHOOL THAT’S BEING USED TO SHELTER DISPLACED PALESTINIANS.
THE ISRAELI MILITARY CLAIMS IT WAS TARGETING HAMAS OPERATIVES — AND A HAMAS COMMAND CENTER WAS EMBEDDED IN THE COMPOUND.
MEANWHILE — EGYPT’S PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED SUNDAY HIS COUNTRY HAS PROPOSED A TWO-DAY CEASE-FIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS.
DURING THE PROPOSED CEASE-FIRE — FOUR HOSTAGES, HELD IN GAZA, WOULD BE FREED.
ISRAEL AND HAMAS HAVE NOT YET RESPONDED TO THE PROPOSAL — BUT CEASE-FIRE TALKS ARE BEING HELD IN QATAR.
QUARTER POUNDERS ARE BACK ON THE MCDONALD’S MENU AFTER A DEADLY E. COLI OUTBREAK.
THE FAST-FOOD CHAIN SAID IT WILL RESUME SELLING THE ICONIC BURGER AT ALL RESTAURANTS IN THE COMING DAYS, BUT IT WILL LOOK A BIT DIFFERENT IN 900 RESTAURANTS ACROSS 12 STATES. THOSE RESTAURANTS WILL RESUME SALES OF QUARTER POUNDERS **WITHOUT** SLIVERED ONIONS,
WHILE A SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE OUTBREAK HAS **NOT** BEEN CONFIRMED, IT HAS BEEN LINKED TO A PRODUCE COMPANY THAT SUPPLIES THE ONIONS USED FOR THE QUARTER POUNDERS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
THE E. COLI OUTBREAK HAS LED TO 75 ILLNESS ACROSS 13 STATES — INCLUDING 22 HOSPITALIZATIONS AND ONE DEATH, ACCORDING TO THE C-D-C, WITH MOST OF THE ILLNESSES HAPPENING IN COLORADO AND NEBRASKA.
NVIDIA DETHRONED APPLE AS THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE COMPANY — BRIEFLY.
IT COMES AFTER A RECORD-SETTING RALLY IN THE STOCK MARKET ON FRIDAY, SPURRED BY DEMAND FOR THE COMPANY’S SPECIALIZED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CHIPS.
NVIDIA’S MARKET VALUE BRIEFLY TOUCHED 3 POINT 5-3 TRILLION DOLLARS — JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE APPLE’S 3 POINT 5-2 TRILLION… BUT APPLE ENDED THE DAY ON TOP.
NVIDIA ENDED THE DAY WITH A MARKET VALUE OF 3 POINT 47 TRILLION — STILL A WIN FOR THE COMPANY, AS IT ENDED THE DAY “UP.”
BOTH COMPANIES ARE PART OF THE S-AND-P 500’S MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, WHICH ARE DRIVING THE INDEX TO RECORD LEVELS AND FUTURES ARE UP AGAIN THIS MORNING.
FINALLY THIS MORNING — AS THE WORLD SERIES TAKES THE CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP TO YANKEE STADIUM FOR GAME 3 TONIGHT — LOS ANGELES DODGERS FANS ARE BREATHING A SIGN OF RELIEF OVER THEIR STAR PLAYER.
SHOHEI OHTANI IS EXPECTED TO PLAY TONIGHT AFTER INJURING HIS LEFT SHOULDER IN GAME 2 SATURDAY.
THE INJURY OCCURRED WHEN OHTANI SLID INTO SECOND BASE DURING THE 7TH INNING — HE LEFT THE GAME, GIVING DODGERS FANS A SCARE EVEN WITH THE TEAM WINNING THE GAME AND BEING UP 2 TO ZERO IN THE SERIES.
DODGERS MANAGER DAVE ROBERTS TOLD ESPN SUNDAY THAT OHTANI WILL BE PLAYING TONIGHT AS THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE SET TO HOST A WORLD SERIES GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2009.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IS HOPING OHTANI’S QUICK RECOVERY WILL HELP CONTINUE THE SERIES’ HIGH RATINGS. SO FAR THE 2024 FALL CLASSIC — WHICH HAS ALREADY SEEN A WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM — HAS AVERAGED 14-and-a-half MILLION VIEWERS PER GAME — THE MOST VIEWERS THROUGH THE FIRST TWO GAMES OF A WORLD SERIES SINCE 20-17.
