Democrats claiming Florida Senate seat is in play haven’t put money behind the effort to make it so

Democrats claiming Florida Senate seat is in play haven’t put money behind the effort to make it so
Democrats hope ballot amendments on abortion rights and marijuana legalization will help boost turnout on their side. (AP)
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Updated 12 September 2024
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Democrats claiming Florida Senate seat is in play haven’t put money behind the effort to make it so

Democrats claiming Florida Senate seat is in play haven’t put money behind the effort to make it so
  • Democrats hope ballot amendments on abortion rights and marijuana legalization will help boost turnout on their side

BOYNTON BEACH: Florida Democrats made bold claims last week about their chances in a state that has steadily grown more conservative in recent years. But so far they have not matched their words with the kind of money it will take to win there.
“Florida is in play,” proclaimed Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a former representative from Miami, at the start of a bus tour in defense of women’s reproductive rights in Boynton Beach. Mucarsel-Powell is the choice of Florida Democrats to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott for one of a handful of Senate seats the GOP is defending this election cycle.
According to data from AdImpact, which tracks spending on advertising by political campaigns and their surrogates, Republicans have outspent Democrats on Florida’s US Senate race by roughly a 4-to-1 margin through Sept. 11, $12.7 million to $3.2 million. Based on ad spots currently reserved through the general election, that margin is expected to grow.
The dynamics of the Senate race mirror what has happened in the presidential race in a state that used to be hotly contested by both parties’ top-of-the-ticket candidates. Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the launch of the bus tour and has not been to Florida as a candidate since she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president in the race against Republican former President Donald Trump.
The Republicans’ massive spending advantage may help to explain why Scott scoffs at the claims coming from Democrats about Florida being competitive.
“They are so far from what Florida voters believe in, that they don’t have a chance in the world of winning Florida,” he said in an interview last week. “They don’t have a chance of beating Trump, and they don’t have a chance of beating me.”
Mucarsel-Powell says her side is more in touch with voters on issues such as reproductive rights. She says ballot amendments on both abortion rights and legalizing marijuana will help Democrats turn out voters. She also said the switch from Biden to Harris gave Florida Democrats a burst of fresh momentum.
“This is momentum that has been building for quite some time, and her announcement just was like the tip of the iceberg on the momentum and the energy that was building here around the state of Florida,” Mucarsel-Powell said in an interview.
A national AP-NORC survey conducted in July showed that about 8 in 10 Democrats said they’d be satisfied with Harris as the party’s nominee for president, versus 4 in 10 Democrats in March saying they’d be satisfied with Biden as the nominee.
But Mucarsel-Powell’s task remains formidable. Although some polling shows Scott leading narrowly in the Senate race, national Democrats have yet to invest heavily in Florida’s expensive media markets. Harris, who has proven to be a prolific fundraiser since she became the Democratic nominee, recently allocated $25 million of her own campaign funds to help down-ballot Democrats in November — with only $10 million of those funds going to US Senate candidates. Harris’ campaign did not respond to questions on how these funds were being allocated.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it has spent money on staffing and digital advertising on the race but didn’t specify how much. In a statement, they did not address plans for spending going forward but said: “Scott’s unpopularity coupled with the strength of Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign makes Florida one of Senate Democrats top offensive opportunities.”
Scott, who has his eye on a Senate leadership position if he wins, said he would welcome a bigger effort from national Democrats.
“I hope they spend a bunch of money and waste it, because they don’t have a chance of winning the Senate in Florida,” he said.
Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried said national Democrats showed their support by starting their bus tour in Florida and sending campaign representatives there to support Democratic candidates. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who is in a strong enough position in her own reelection bid to work on behalf of other Democrats around the country, was one of several Democrats who joined Mucarsel-Powell at the start of the bus tour.
“They could have started anywhere else in the country. They started here in Palm Beach County, in Donald Trump’s backyard,” Fried said. “That shows how important Florida is, and that they are going to continue to watch what is happening on the ground, send surrogates here and making sure that we are in play for November.”
About 150 people attended the bus tour event.
Fried acknowledged that Democrats have been outspent on advertising in Florida, but she said they’re putting their energy into campaigning at the grassroots level. She said 40,000 new volunteers signed up after Harris entered the race and were making an all-out effort to knock on doors and reach out to Florida voters by phone.
This year’s Florida ballot looks different from the one voters saw two years ago, where US Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Ron DeSantis led the top of Florida’s ticket. The governor had hoped to ride a wave of momentum from his emphatic 19-point victory to national prominence but was unable to loosen Trump’s grip on the Republican Party nationally.
Trump, now a Florida resident, defeated Biden in Florida by 3.3 percentage points in 2020, further diminishing its status as a swing state.
Brian Ballard, a Republican political strategist who was a top fundraiser for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, said the lackluster spending effort by Democrats will make it harder for Mucarsel-Powell to introduce herself to people across the state who don’t recognize her — as opposed to Scott, who was Florida’s governor from 2010 to 2018 and has since then been serving in the Senate.
The lack of spending from the national party, Ballard said, is “usually a sign of a losing campaign.”
“Florida is not in play,” Ballard said. “I hope the Democrats commit and spend a lot of money in Florida on the presidential race. It’ll move the needle not at all. If she’s relying on Democrats spending on top of the ticket, she’s relying on fool’s gold.”
The Florida contest has not drawn much attention from national Democrats, who are trying to hold onto far more Senate seats than Republicans this year. Instead, they have focused much of their energy and resources on defending seats they already hold, including in the red states of Ohio and Montana. Still, the Florida US Senate race was close in late July, just before the Florida Senate primaries, according to a poll of Florida voters conducted by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab.
Scott said in the interview that he isn’t “taking a chance” by treating his own race lightly. And yet he has spent at least some of his time campaigning for other Republicans, including a trip across state lines to battleground Georgia last week for a town hall in Braselton, northeast of Atlanta.
“This is a team sport,” Scott said of his efforts on behalf of other GOP candidates.
Tiffany Lanier, 36, attended the bus tour Tuesday morning in Boynton Beach. Lanier, a Lake Worth civic engagement public speaker, said that although Biden ran on a similar platform to Harris, she thinks Harris’ position and emphasis on abortion rights really excites and motivates people to turn out to vote.
“I think it was more like in my wilder dreams that Florida would be in play for this November,” Lanier said. “I know that we are so very tight in the polls, but I do see that there is an energetic shift. And so, I do see a lot of possibility here.”


Toll from Russian strike on Odesa rises to seven

Toll from Russian strike on Odesa rises to seven
Updated 58 min 55 sec ago
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Toll from Russian strike on Odesa rises to seven

Toll from Russian strike on Odesa rises to seven
  • Russia has targeted Ukraine’s coastal Odesa region throughout the war, hitting boats and grain silos
  • Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of grain in the world before Russia’s invasion in February 2022

KYIV: The toll from a Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region rose to seven dead and 10 wounded, authorities said Thursday.
The attack on Wednesday struck a civilian container ship flying the flag of Panama, according to the region’s governor Oleg Kiper.
“Unfortunately, the death toll as a result of yesterday’s Russian missile attack has risen to seven,” Kiper wrote on social media Thursday.
“This morning, a 46-year-old port worker died in hospital. Medics did their best but his injuries were too severe,” he added.
Kiper had earlier said that the attack on the Black Sea port city was the third on a civilian vessel in four days.
Russia has targeted Ukraine’s coastal Odesa region throughout the war, hitting boats and grain silos in what Kyiv says is an illegal attempt to destroy its export capacity.
Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of grain in the world before Russia’s invasion in February 2022, but repeated attacks on its port and storage facilities have severely curbed its output.
The attack comes two days after a Russian missile hit a Palau-flagged ship in the port of Odesa, killing one person aboard, according to local authorities.


Hundreds gather to pay last respects to India’s iconic business tycoon Ratan Tata

Hundreds gather to pay last respects to India’s iconic business tycoon Ratan Tata
Updated 10 October 2024
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Hundreds gather to pay last respects to India’s iconic business tycoon Ratan Tata

Hundreds gather to pay last respects to India’s iconic business tycoon Ratan Tata
  • Although in recent years Tata was not as active in the day-to-day running of the group, he was consulted on big decisions by the Tata Sons leadership, a senior company executive told Reuters

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of people, including corporate leaders, politicians and celebrities, gathered in Mumbai on Thursday to pay their last respects to one of India’s most respected business tycoons, Ratan Tata, who died aged 86.
Known for his exemplary business acumen and philanthropic nature, as chairman he led various companies under the Tata conglomerate for more than 20 years, which had revenue of $165 billion in 2023-24.
Although in recent years Tata was not as active in the day-to-day running of the group, he was consulted on big decisions by the Tata Sons leadership, a senior company executive told Reuters.
Tata had been in a Mumbai hospital since Monday, but the cause of his death was not immediately made public.
After his death, tributes poured in from around the world, underlining his popularity that transcended boundaries and generations.
“India and the world have lost a giant with a giant heart,” US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on X.
“He ... was instrumental in mentoring and developing the modern business leadership in India. He deeply cared about making India better,” Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said.
Draped in the Indian national flag, Ratan Tata’s body was kept at a cultural center in Mumbai, and his funeral will be conducted later in the day with full state honors.
India’s central bank governor Shaktikanta Das, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla were among early visitors to pay their last respects to the Padma Vibhushan awardee — India’s second-highest civilian honor.
A licensed pilot who would occasionally fly the company plane, Tata never married and was known for his quiet demeanour, relatively modest lifestyle and philanthropic work.
“We will remember his legacy of transformative giving to Cornell,” his alma mater Cornell University said on X, calling Tata their most generous international donor.


Taiwan celebrates its National Day holiday against background of Chinese threats

Taiwan celebrates its National Day holiday against background of Chinese threats
Updated 10 October 2024
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Taiwan celebrates its National Day holiday against background of Chinese threats

Taiwan celebrates its National Day holiday against background of Chinese threats
  • The celebration marks the establishment of the Republic of China, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911
  • Taiwan was run under martial law until transitioning to full democracy in the 1980s and 1990s

TAIPEI: Taiwan celebrated its National Day holiday Thursday against the background of threats from China, which claims the self-governing island republic as its own territory.
The celebration marks the establishment of the Republic of China, which overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and fled to Taiwan as Mao Zedong’s Communists swept to power on the mainland during a civil war in 1949. Taiwan was run under martial law until transitioning to full democracy in the 1980s and 1990s but maintains the original constitution brought from China and the ROC flag.
President Lai Ching-te took office in May, continuing the eight-year rule of the Democratic Progressive Party that rejects China’s demand that it recognize Taiwan is a part of China. The Nationalists adhere to a unification stance that recognizes both sides of the Taiwan Strait as a single nation.
In a speech marking the holiday, Lai spoke of Taiwan’s technology achievements such as those driving the computer chips industry, calling it a “global force for prosperity and development.” He also praised athletes such as boxer Lin Yu-ting, who won gold at the Paris Olympics, and young people who have won prizes in international technical competitions.
Thursday’s commemorations included military displays, but no heavy military equipment as seen in years past. And it included performances with music and flag and athletic feats like flips and other stunts.
Addressing the threat from China, Lai took a firm but measured line while offering cooperation on areas from fighting infectious diseases to maintaining “regional peace and stability.”
“We hope that China will live up to the expectations of the international community, that it will apply its influence and work with other countries toward ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and end conflicts in the Middle East,” Lai said.
“And we hope that (China) will take up its international responsibilities and, along with Taiwan, contribute to the peace, security and prosperity of the region and the globe,” the president said.
Maintaining its military pressure on Taiwan, China’s People’s Liberation Army sent 15 planes across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets, dispatch ships and activate missile systems.
In response to such threats, Taiwan has ordered billions of dollars in fighter jets, tanks, missiles and various upgrades to existing gear from the US, while revitalizing its own defense industry with the production of submarines and other equipment aimed at deterring or fending off a Chinese attack.
At the same time, Taiwan faces economic threats from China ranging from a possible blockade of the trade-dependent island to an undermining of its financial system. China routinely states that Taiwan independence is a “dead end” and that annexation by Beijing is a historical inevitability.
Lai appeared to address such issues in his address, saying: “Finally, we must strengthen resilience throughout Taiwan in national defense, economic livelihoods, disaster prevention and democracy.”


New UK government closes in on major employment reform

New UK government closes in on major employment reform
Updated 10 October 2024
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New UK government closes in on major employment reform

New UK government closes in on major employment reform
  • Since winning power in early July, Labour has acted swiftly to end drawn-out strikes by public- and private-sector workers over pay

LONDON: Britain’s new Labour government will on Thursday take a key step toward delivering major reforms to workers’ rights when it presents its employment bill to parliament, pitting unions against businesses.
Almost 100 days since Keir Starmer became prime minister following his Labour party’s landslide general election win, Britain gets to see the fine detail of the government’s proposed shakeup to employment legislation.
The bill contains key pre-election pledges, including a ban on zero-hours contracts, improvements to sick and maternity pay, and measures aimed at making it harder for employers to sack staff.
“The government will deliver on our promise to the British people of the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation,” Starmer told parliament Wednesday.
Since winning power in early July, Labour has acted swiftly to end drawn-out strikes by public- and private-sector workers over pay — notably among doctors in Britain’s free National Health Service (NHS).
“The Employment Rights Bill will ensure work pays, it’ll forge a new partnership with business, and reset the dreadful industrial relations that have cost our economy and our NHS so much in recent years,” Starmer added Wednesday.
Paul Nowak, leader of British umbrella organization the Trades Union Congress, said a fully delivered bill “will make work better for millions of working people.”
He added on the eve of the paper’s unveiling: “Increasing job security is good for workers and business. Treating staff well boosts productivity and living standards.”
But the main opposition Conservatives have warned the proposals amount to business-constricting “French-style union laws.”
Tina McKenzie, whose organization represents millions of UK businesses, warned that “adding to the risks and costs associated with employing people would make small employers think twice about whether and who to hire.”
“Done wrongly, this bill could damage growth, wages and jobs,” added McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses.
The bill’s publication comes ahead of Labour’s maiden budget on October 30, when finance minister Rachel Reeves is widely expected to announce tax rises.
Labour says tough measures are needed and claims that the Tories left it with a financial hole totaling £22 billion ($29 billion).


Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris

Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris
Updated 10 October 2024
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Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris

Former US president Barack Obama hits campaign trail for Kamala Harris
  • America’s first Black president is hitting the campaign trail in the steel city of Pittsburgh
  • Obama’s trip to Pennsylvania is the first stop in what will be a month of campaigning for Harris

WASHINGTON: Former US president Barack Obama will bring his star power to Kamala Harris’s election campaign Thursday in a bid to get out the vote in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.
America’s first Black president is hitting the campaign trail in the steel city of Pittsburgh a day after Harris’s Republican rival Donald Trump charged through the must-win state.
The still hugely influential Democrat will be urging people to vote early in person or by mail as Harris looks to lock in as many votes as she can in a nail-biting race.
Trump rallied on Wednesday in President Joe Biden’s childhood hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania and will head on Thursday to the auto industry capital of Detroit in Michigan, another battleground.
Wooing blue-collar voters in the former coal mining town of Scranton, Trump vowed to “drill, baby, drill” for oil and assailed Harris on the economy.
Harris will head to yet another swing state, Nevada, to reach out to Latino voters but the White House said she would be kept informed throughout the day about Hurricane Milton.
The monster hurricane crashed into Florida late Wednesday with Biden warning that it could be the “storm of the century.”
Obama’s trip to Pennsylvania is the first stop in what will be a month of campaigning for Harris in the seven swing states where the 2024 election is likely to be decided.
The White House race remains neck-and-neck between Harris and Trump both nationally and in the battleground states, including Pennsylvania.
Harris’s campaign is counting on Obama, 63, who was president from 2009 to January 2017, to mobilize Black and young voters as she seeks the edge on November 5.
But Obama’s main message on Thursday will be to drive home the early voting message in an agonizingly close race.
Democrats have historically favored early voting over Republicans.
Trump has meanwhile frequently lashed out against anything except on-the-day voting, repeatedly blaming mail-in ballots for his 2020 defeat by Joe Biden, which he still refused to accept.
The Republican himself has also sometimes called early voting into question, despite efforts by his campaign to promote it.
“President Obama believes the stakes of this election could not be more consequential and that is why he is doing everything he can to help elect Vice President Harris,” Obama’s senior adviser Eric Schultz said in a statement.
Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama delivered rapturously received speeches backing Harris at the Democratic National Convention in his hometown of Chicago in August.
He portrayed Harris — America’s first woman, Black and South Asian vice president — as the political heir to his own trailblazing path.
Obama led the crowd in chants of “Yes she can” — a riff on the “Yes he can” chants from his own 2008 campaign — but warned that 2024 would “still be a tight race in a closely divided country.”
The ex-president has also pulled in more than $76 million for the Democratic ticket in this year’s presidential race.
The ex-president endorsed Harris, 59, after Biden dramatically dropped out of the White House race in July.