Billionaires Hit Campaign Trail For Trump & Harris
Plus, US government investigating how top secret plans for Israel's counterattack on Iran got leaked
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Good morning,
It will be NY vs. LA in the World Series.
Last night, the LA Dodgers beat the New York Mets 10-5 to clinch their 4th World Series appearance in eight seasons.
They will now face the NY Yankees, who defeated the Cleveland Guardians over the weekend to make it to their first World Series in 15 seasons. [Though, it is the Yankees 41st World Series overall!]
Many New Yorkers had high hopes for the first Mets vs. Yankees ‘Subway Series’ since 2000 😢
Game 1 of the World Series is Friday!
And for the people who are in a house divided… also remember the pain non-sports people feel living with sports-obsessed partners. 😉 That’s the REAL divided house:
Have a good one!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
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💰BILLIONAIRES HIT CAMPAIGN TRAIL; MUSK SPENDS BIG ON TRUMP
Two high-profile billionaires— Mark Cuban and Elon Musk— have hit the campaign trail for their presidential choices in recent weeks.
Campaigning for Kamala Harris, Cuban is taking aim at the former president’s tariff proposals. Meanwhile, Musk has gone after Democrats regarding what he calls the “woke mind virus” and the border crisis.
It’s an atypical move for the modern American rich, who have historically cut checks, but avoided stumping on the campaign trail. Musk is taking it even further, creating his own Super PAC.
ELON’S GAMBLE
Unlike Cuban, Musk is spending huge in this race. He poured $75 million into his pro-Trump America PAC in the three months through September. Cuban says he does not donate to politicians. Now, Musk is taking that money directly to voters who sign his pro-gun and free speech petition.
Musk announced on Saturday that he will give out $1 million/day to a Pennsylvania registered voter who signed the petition in a lotto-style-drawing until the election.
He’s offering $100 to all Pennsylvania voters who sign the petition and $47 for voters in other battleground states.
Is this legal? It depends on who you ask. While some election law experts believe it to be unethical, but not illegal, others think he is breaking the law. Law Professor Rick Hasen believes it is a bribe and "clearly illegal."
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said that the move is “deeply concerning” and “it’s something that law enforcement could take a look at.”
Musk, who is a native of South Africa, has also pushed his X social media platform algorithm to favor Trump. He joked on the Tucker Carlson show this month said that if Trump “loses, I’m f*cked,” implying Harris will go after him and his companies if they win.
BILLIONAIRES ROLES IN US ELECTIONS
This election cycle, 21 of America’s richest people support Harris, compared with 14 who backed Trump. However, those supporting Trump are opening their wallets a lot wider in terms of direct campaign donations— $34.4 million vs. $16.8 million (sum includes donations from before President Biden dropped out of the race, but Harris got the war chest).
Notably, the billionaires are also dumping tens of millions into outside PACS supporting both candidates (there are no donation limits).
Beyond Musk’s $75 million donation to his pro-Trump super PAC, railroad heir Timothy Mellon has contributed $125 million to the Make America Great Again super PAC, and Miriam Adelson the widow of of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, has donated more than $135 million to another pro-Trump group.
On the Democratic side, George Soros and his son Alex have given more than $60 million to an outside fund helping Democrats, and Michael Bloomberg has donated $19 million to a group supporting Harris.
Harris has surpassed $1 billion in donations in less than 3 months (she is getting more money from small ($1-$200) donors), while Trump has taken in about $880 million over his entire campaign.
Harris:
Harris’s campaign received more than $1 billion. Via: OpenSecrets
Trump:
Trump’s campaign received about $880 million. Via: OpenSecrets
Billionaires are no stranger to campaigns: Back in 2020, US billionaires poured $1.2 billion into the presidential elections.
Overall, here’s where the 50 top donors have put their $ this year:
Via: Washington Post.
📌 US INVESTIGATING LEAKED ISRAELI COUNTER ATTACK PLAN ON IRAN
An alleged US security breach has led to the publication of highly classified intelligence documents that show Israel's preparations for a counter-attack on Iran in the coming days. Additionally, the US government is investigating how the top secret documents got in the hands of a pro-Iran Telegram account.
Background: Israel has vowed to retaliate for Iran’s Oct. 1 attack on the nation which included firing nearly 200 ballistic missiles directly at Israel.
ISRAEL’S ALLEGED PLANS
The pair of leaked US intelligence documents, dated Oct. 15 and 16, describes Israeli military drills and transfer of advanced munitions. They also show the country’s weapons placement (in case Iran tries to target them), and even discuss Israel’s nuclear weapons program (which they have never acknowledged.) They do not show images.
US officials, who privately acknowledge that the documents are legit, are working to see how large the data breach actually is.
For now, the documents do not offer a comprehensive view of what the US likely knows. Officials say if the leak is contained to these documents, the damage is limited.
WHO DONE IT: It’s no secret that countries— including allies like Israel and the US— spy on each other. But the big question now:
Was this an intentional leak from a low-level (or even high-level) employee, and if so, from who? There is concern this may have been an attempt to interfere in Israel’s planned strike.
Or, was this highly classified intelligence that was hacked from abroad. Both scenarios are extremely problematic.
NETANYAHU ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT?
It comes as over the weekend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private home was targeted by a Hezbollah drone from Lebanon.
It took aim at Netanyahu’s private home in the central seaside town of Caesarea early on Saturday. No one was reported injured and he and his wife were not present.
It’s the first time since the beginning of the war that a target affiliated directly with Netanyahu has been hit.
After the incident, Netanyahu posted videos insisting that “nothing will deter” him, and that Israel is “going to win this war.”
Israeli military have ramped up attacks in northern Gaza and central Lebanon in recent days.
MEANWHILE… BIBI & TRUMP
Former President Donald Trump and the Prime Minister also spoke, and Trump says Netanyahu told him he is not going to listen to President Biden.
Trump said Netanyahu “wouldn’t listen to Biden, because if he did, they wouldn’t be in this position”— pointing to the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week.
The former president claimed on a podcast last week that Netanyahu will “listen to me 100%.”
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Trump's restless week on the trail ends with a rally riff about Arnold Palmer's manhood (NPR)
📌 Trump hands out french fries in Pennsylvania, Harris visits Georgia churches on her 60th birthday in swing state appeals (REUTERS)
📌 At least 7 dead after ferry dock collapses on Georgia’s Sapelo Island (AP)
📌 Navy confirms death of crew after jet crashes near Mount Rainier in Washington (FOX NEWS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Millions of Cubans still without power as crisis deepens (REUTERS)
📌 Moldova faces a tug of war between Russia and the West in two crucial votes (CNN)
📌 Video published by Ukraine allegedly shows North Korean soldiers in Russia (AP)
📌 Germany arrests Libyan suspected of planning terror attack on Israeli embassy (POLITICO)
📌How bomb hoaxes are ruining Indian air travel (BBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Boeing machinists to vote on new proposal with 35% raises that could end strike (CNBC)
📌 Black patients less likely to receive certain pain relief post-surgery, new research suggests (CNN)
📌 Hundreds of frozen waffle products recalled due to possible listeria contamination (AP)
📌 Ozempic shows promise for alcohol and drug addiction, study finds (NPR)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 NY Liberty win first WNBA championship (NY TIMES)
📌 Alec Baldwin returns to 'Saturday Night Live' to spoof Bret Baier interview with Kamala Harris (AP)
📌 Gen Z is not into ‘Happy Hour’ (PEOPLE)
📌 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducts Cher, Foreigner, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy and more (NPR)
📌 Hundreds of One Direction fans gather in London to sing, cry and say goodbye to Liam Payne (VARIETY)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: OCTOBER 21
1940: Ernest Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls,’ a novel set during the Spanish Civil War, was first published.
1964: ‘My Fair Lady,’ the film starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, premiered; it later won eight Academy Awards.
1980: Bruce Springsteen released ‘Hungry Heart.’
1992: Mattel announced that Teen Talk Barbie would no longer say the phrase, 'Math class is tough!'
2021: On the film set for ‘Rust,’ actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop weapon which had been loaded, killing the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injuring director Joel Souza.
The murder case against him was dismissed this summer.