Latest news with #FederalElectionCommission
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania bill looks to prohibit use of AI in political campaigns
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania Representative announced legislation that aims to prohibit the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in political campaigns. The bill, authored by Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia), argues that while AI has the potential to make content creation 'more efficient,' it also equally has the power to spread disinformation — propaganda intended to mislead against a rival or media. Khan noted that as AI has become more widely available, 'bad actors' have used the programming to produce content targeting political candidates, public officials and government programs. The Federal Election Commission has considered a proposal to limit AI-generated political content, but it is currently uncertain whether regulatory action will be taken or not. Khan argued that while that decision is being made, Pennsylvania must join the 14 other states that have adopted laws or resolutions related to AI. 'Voters need accurate information on political candidates to make the best and most informed decisions for their families and communities,' Khan wrote. 'Please join us in protecting Pennsylvania voters against deception and manipulation by signing on to this proposal.' Under the legislation, the dissemination of a campaign advertisement containing an artificially generated impersonation of a candidate would be prohibited if done without consent and with the intent to influence the election outcome. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Socialist Kshama Sawant announces bid to defeat U.S. Rep. Adam Smith
Former socialist Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant announced Monday that she's running to unseat longtime U.S. Rep. Adam Smith. Smith, a Democrat, has represented Washington's 9th Congressional district for nearly three decades. The district stretches over portions of Seattle and Bellevue, as well as Seattle's southeast suburbs. Sawant served on Seattle City Council from 2014 to 2024. She left that role last year to launch Workers Strike Back, a national labor movement. In a Federal Election Commission document filed last week, Sawant is listed as an Independent. 'Most of the time, working people have no political representation under capitalism,' Sawant said Monday during a livestreamed news conference. 'Both the Democrats and Republicans serve the interests of the billionaires, and both are war-mongering parties down to their bones.' Early in her political career, Sawant spearheaded a push to secure a $15 hourly minimum wage for Seattle. She has fought to impose more taxes on big businesses such as Amazon and is an advocate for rent-control efforts. Sawant is calling for 'an immediate end to the genocidal war and occupation of Gaza,' according to her campaign website. She wants to see more funding for health care, schools and jobs, and is demanding that the U.S. cease all military aid to 'both the Israeli state and the bloody inter-imperialist proxy war in Ukraine.' Sawant has also criticized Smith as 'pro-corporate' and a 'warmonger.' 'We aren't going to stop right-wing attacks and defeat Trump by staying silent and allowing Democrats like Adam Smith to remain in power,' she said at Monday's event. In a statement to McClatchy, Smith welcomed Sawant to the race. But he contends Sawant played a part in ensuring President Donald Trump's return to the White House by campaigning against Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and for Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The Congress member said Sawant deployed 'divisive' and 'extreme' tactics during her time on Seattle City Council. 'Voters in Washington's 9th Congressional District deserve thoughtful, effective leadership focused on real results — not ideological stunts,' he said. 'This election will offer a clear contrast, and I look forward to the challenge.' At the June 2 campaign announcement, Sawant condemned other progressive Democrats. She took aim at U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, accusing them of having long since yielded to their party's 'corporate and war-mongering agenda.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump's call to "investigate" Bruce Springsteen ignores the reality of celebrity endorsements
Nothing seems to incite angry social media posts from President Trump quite like criticism from celebrities. And while celebrities in 2025 seem less interested in feuding with the volatile president, Bruce Springsteen did manage to poke the bear with an unsparing speech delivered before a May 14 concert in Manchester. The president noticed. On Truth Social, Trump called Springsteen 'a pushy, obnoxious JERK' with 'atrophied skin.' But the pettiness didn't stop with dermatological insults. In the early hours of May 19, Trump escalated even further, implying without evidence that Kamala Harris' presidential campaign paid Springsteen and other stars, including Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, for their performances at campaign events, which was a 'MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION.' He proclaimed his intention to 'call for a major investigation into this matter.' Springsteen isn't backing down in the wake of Trump's stream of attacks, and musicians like Neil Young and Eddie Vedder have since come to his defense. The doubling and tripling down is so far mostly symbolic. But could Trump really investigate celebrity endorsements? I don't this so. Celebrities typically do not get paid for making endorsements. According to the Federal Election Commission, candidates can pay for endorsements as long as they are listed as a campaign expenditure. The Harris campaign has denied paying celebrities directly, claiming that any money sent to Winfrey ($1 million), Beyoncé ($165,000) and others are event production expenses paid out in accordance with federal election law. 'Usually I am reluctant to respond to rumors in general, but these days I realize that if you don't stop a lie, it gets bigger. I was not paid a dime,' Winfrey said in video response to the Trump post. 'My time and energy was my way of supporting the campaign. For the livestreaming event in September, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and the chairs we sat on) to put on a live production. I did not take any personal fee. However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.' Tina Knowles issued a similar denial last year when the same rumors circulated about her daughter: 'The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris' Rally in Houston." It all looks aboveboard and normal. Then there's the obvious flaw in Trump's argument: Billionaire Winfrey is so rich she flies in English Muffins from Napa. Why would she be persuaded to do anything for a paltry million dollars? In other words, a quick Google search suggests Trump doesn't have a legal leg to stand on here. But while these two cases appear to be documented and legitimate, Trump's intimidation can still have consequences. Digging into celebrity campaign endorsements could have a chilling effect — at least while Trump is in office. Should celebrities be alarmed? Yes. And no. Studies have demonstrated that celebrities are effective at issue-based advocacy. They are often better than politicians at raising the profile of an issue, are perceived as more credible than politicians on many issues and can be persuasive. But there are limits to this influence. Notably, celebrities are generally not persuasive on highly partisan issues. For example, Bruce Springsteen is not going to convince Americans who believe strongly in the Second Amendment that they ought to support gun control. Last August, a month before Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris, my colleagues and I conducted a national survey of over 1,000 Americans to determine whether her endorsement would make a difference in the 2024 election. In this study, some respondents were shown a picture of Swift encouraging voters to register, and some were shown a picture of her encouraging people to 'vote for Democrats.' While Swiftie super fans heeded her call to register to vote, Swifties who already had decided to support Donald Trump were not convinced to change their vote. And undecided respondents were actually less likely to support a Democrat after hearing Swift's endorsement. These findings are consistent with what we know about celebrity influence more broadly. Harris' endorsers may have fired up the base, but not changed anyone's minds, just as Springsteen's comments at his concert likely only appealed to those who already agreed with him. There is one recent documented case of a celebrity endorsement tipping the outcome of an election: Winfrey endorsing Barack Obama's candidacy for the Democratic nomination in 2008. And of course, many others have tried. In 1920, singer Al Jolson was probably the most famous entertainer in the U.S., and he endorsed Republican Warren Harding for president. Whether he really supported Harding is another matter. He was paid by an ad agency to sing 'Harding, You're The Man for Us.' He was then hired to sing for Harding's vice president, Calvin Coolidge, in the next election. Franklin Roosevelt's 1944 campaign featured performers and endorsers such as Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Judy Garland, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Groucho Marx, as well as Frank Sinatra. Sinatra and Garland were back at the 1960 DNC, along with their friends Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, Sammy Davis Jr., Nat King Cole and Judy Garland. Sammy Davis Jr. would ultimately flip and support Richard Nixon for president, and Sinatra would flip for Ronald Reagan in 1980. The Allman Brothers famously jammed for Jimmy Carter in 1976. Not every presidential cycle is celebrity-laden as 1944 or 1960 — or 2024. And the Harris campaign was not the first to discover that support from the biggest stars on the planet does not guarantee a win. Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine, Peter Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, Alan Alda, Julie Christie, and Dustin Hoffman could not save George McGovern's candidacy in 1972. John Lennon's very vocal condemnation of Richard Nixon did not prevent the Republican's re-election. Moreover, there are many documented cases where celebrities wade into politics and it backfires. Congressional Republicans criticized FDR during World War II for consulting with Sinatra, a 'mere crooner' who had been exempt from the draft. (Some celebrities also get criticism for inaction. Swift faced backlash for simply not showing up for the Women's March in 2017). Other endorsements, such as Clint Eastwood's awkward monologue supporting Mitt Romney at the 2012 RNC, do nothing to help the endorser or the endorsee. All of this is a sober reminder that voters are swayed more by economic variables and partisanship than they are by a sea of conflicting celebrity endorsements from opposing political parties. If celebrities are ineffective at this kind of advocacy, why do they do it? Many of them are keenly aware that their fame gives them a bigger megaphone than the average citizen — for better and for worse. Time will tell just how invested Trump is here. It doesn't look like he has any actual evidence of wrongdoing. But again, that isn't really the point. Trump transforms criticism into fuel for the culture wars, reinforcing his core support and exploiting political divides to his own advantage. Celebrities shouldn't be intimidated by his tactics — if anything, Springsteen seems to be relishing this moment — but they should be ready for them. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lone Dem Scrambles to Defend Confirming Ivanka's Father-in-Law
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker has defended breaking with Democrats by voting to confirm Charles Kushner, a convicted felon and father-in-law to Ivanka Trump, as the new U.S. ambassador to France. Kushner, father to Jared Kushner, who is married to President Donald Trump's eldest daughter, was confirmed in a 51-45 Senate vote Monday to the top diplomatic role. Booker was the sole Democrat who voted to confirm the Trump-backed nominee. Booker received criticism online for supporting the man whom Trump pardoned in 2020 for tax crimes, especially as the senator was recently viewed as a potential Democratic 2028 presidential candidate having delivered a record-breaking 25-hour speech attacking the president. In a statement to the Daily Beast, Booker explained that while he has many disagreements with Kushner, a fellow New Jerseyan, he voted to confirm him largely because of his role in helping pass the bipartisan First Step Act. The landmark bill, signed by Trump in 2018, aimed to reform the federal prison system by giving nonviolent drug offenders the opportunity to reduce their sentences through rehabilitation programs, and by reducing penalties for other drug-related crimes. 'The First Step Act was the result of a broad coalition of advocates—from a bipartisan group of Senators to civil rights leaders, law enforcement, and other groups,' Booker told the Daily Beast. 'One of the most important was Charlie Kushner, whose experience in prison profoundly affected him and led him to become an advocate for needed reforms. Without his efforts, the bill wouldn't have become law. 'I have passionate differences and disagreements with Charlie Kushner, but I supported his confirmation because he has been unrelenting in reforming our criminal justice system and has substantively helped achieve the liberation of thousands of people from unjust incarceration,' Booker added. Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison in 2005 after pleading guilty to 16 counts of tax fraud, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. During his plea hearing, Kushner admitted that the witness he sought to retaliate against was his own sister. He had plotted a scheme to have a prostitute seduce her husband and then secretly record them together. Kushner intended to send the videotape to his sister in an apparent blackmail attempt. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped prosecute Kushner as an attorney, described the case in 2019 as one of the most 'loathsome, disgusting crimes' he had ever worked on. During his confirmation hearing for the ambassadorship to France role, Kushner admitted he was 'not a perfect person.' 'I made a very, very, very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price for that mistake. I think that my past mistakes actually make me better with my judgment, better in my view of life, better in my values, to really make me more qualified to do this job,' he said. Booker and Kushner's relationship dates back years before they worked together on the First Step Act. The former New Jersey real estate titan helped fund Booker's unsuccessful run for mayor of Newark in 2002. Trump pardoned Kushner for his felony crimes in December 2020, weeks before the Republican's first term in office came to an end.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump wants 'major investigation' into Beyoncé, Oprah, other celeb endorsements of Harris
WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump said he plans to call for a "major investigation" into the celebrity endorsements that Kamala Harris received during the 2024 campaign, alleging without evidence that Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, U2's Bono and Beyoncé were paid to publicly support the Democratic nominee. Representatives of several of the entertainers targeted by Trump − all of whom have previously endorsed Democratic candidates for president − have rejected rumors they were paid to appear with Harris and back her campaign. Trump, in a 1:34 a.m. EDT May 19 post on Truth social, accused Harris of paying for their endorsements "under the guise of paying for entertainment" in a "desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds." Springsteen, Beyoncé and Winfrey each headlined campaign events for Harris. Bono, who is from Ireland, did not, nor did he publicly endorse her candidacy. "IT'S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system," Trump said. More: It wasn't only Oprah. Kamala Harris campaign paid Beyonce's production company too Trump did not elaborate on the investigation he has in mind or what entity he wants to lead it. The Federal Election Commission does not have rules explicitly prohibiting candidates from paying for endorsements. Trump followed up on his overnight social media post with a subsequent post at 9:11 am EDT singling out Beyoncé with an unfounded claim involving a rally she hosted in October 2024 for Harris in Houston. Trump wrote that "according to news report" Beyoncé was paid $11 million "to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!" "BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!" Trump said in his post. More: Trump calls Beyoncé's endorsement of Kamala Harris 'illegal': Here's what to know A representative of Harris did not immediately response to a request for comment. It is unclear where Trump got the unsubstantiated $11 million figure. The Harris campaign last year rejected a rumor that it paid Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement that spread on social media shortly after the music star's October 2024 appearance with Harris. Beyoncé, Springsteen and Winfrey each endorsed Barack Obama, Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in previous elections, including the 2016 and 2020 races in which Trump was the Republican nominee. Bono has a long history of backing liberal causes. More: 'I'm here as a mother': Beyoncé' rallies for Kamala Harris in final stretch of campaign The Harris campaign paid $165,000 to Beyoncé's production company, Parkwood Production Media LLC, according to finance records reported to the Federal Election Commission. The payment came about a month after the two appeared together at the Houston rally. Beyoncé did not perform at the rally but instead spoke about her support for Harris alongside her Destiny's Child group mate, Kelly Rowland. Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé, pushed back at the $10 million rumor at the time, calling it "false information" and a "lie" in a post on Instagram. "In fact she actually paid for her own flights for her and her team," Knowles said. The Harris campaign, which spent lavishly after raising more than $1 billion over just 107 days, also paid $1 million to Harpo Productions, the company Winfrey owns, after the television star hosted a town hall event for Harris that featured appearance from other celebrities such as comedian Chris Rock, actresses Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, actor Ben Stiller, and singer Jennifer Lopez. More: Bruce Springsteen doubles down after Trump calls him 'dried out prune' The payments to Winfrey's production company came in two $500,000 sums on Oct. 15, 2024. Winfrey said the money went to employees who put on the event, not to her personally. 'I did not take any personal fee," Winfrey said in a video posted on Instagram. "However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story." After Harris emerged as the 2024 Democratic nominee, Beyoncé granted her campaign permission to use her song "Freedom" as its anthem. Winfrey, a registered independent voter who previously endorsed Clinton and Obama, delivered a forceful case for Harris during a primetime appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Trump's focus on Springsteen comes after Trump lashed out at the rock icon con after he condemned the president's "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration' during the first show of his British tour last week. "Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he's not a talented guy,' Trump said in a May 16 post on Truth Social. "Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden." Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wants 'investigation' into celebrity endorsements of Harris
