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☆ Google searches are becoming a bigger target of cybercriminals with the rise of 'malvertising'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Lowe's staff members were targeted via a Google ad for an employee portal claiming to be associated with the retailer. It's not a problem with Google, per se; malicious ads can also show up in queries using other search engines like Microsoft's Bing. "You see something appearing on a Google search, you kind of assume it is something valid," said Stuart Madnick, professor of information technology at MIT Sloan School of Management. Also avoid calling a telephone number listed in a sponsored ad because it could be a fake telephone number. Many privacy browsers have embedded ad blockers; consumers may still see sponsored ads, but they will see fewer of them, which minimizes the chances of malvertising.

Persons: Malwarebytes, Jérôme Segura, Erich Kron, Segura, Salesforce, It's, Bing, Stuart Madnick, Madnick, malvertising, isn't, there's, Avinash Collis, Kron, Chris Pierson, Pierson, Collis Organizations: U.S, Corporate, Google, MIT Sloan School of Management, Clearing, Gap.com, Consumers, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz Locations: malvertising

☆ How an edtech startup used AI tools like Midjourney and HeyGen to boost its ad performance by 40%
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pavlovsky said the use of AI tools has made a profound difference to the company's marketing performance. AdvertisementHeadway joins a growing number of marketers looking to harness AI tools, in part to reduce their advertising costs. Headway is using AI tools like HeyGen, Rask, and MidjourneyFounded in Ukraine in 2019, Headway operates a portfolio of educational apps that combined have been downloaded by more than 110 million users worldwide. Its flagship app, Headway, offers 15-minute summaries of popular nonfiction books, as well as challenges and daily micro-learning sessions. All of Headway's user-generated-content video ads are now produced using some element of AI technology, such as for subtitles or voiceovers, the company said.

Persons: —, OpenAI, Anton Pavlovsky, Pavlovsky, Klarna, Mona Lisa, Leonardo, Marie Antoinette, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Gartner, Midjourney, Facebook, Google, UGC, YouTube Locations: Ukrainian, Silicon, Ukraine, Ukraine's, Kyiv

☆ U.S. safety regulator calls for probe of Temu, Shein over 'deadly baby and toddler products'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-04 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Two U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission members are urging the agency to probe safety practices of "foreign-owned" e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu, specifically the alleged sale of "deadly baby and toddler products." "Our interests are aligned with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in ensuring consumer protection and product safety, and we will cooperate fully with any investigation," the Temu spokesperson said. CPSC officials have asked for more funding to hire staffers to monitor emerging e-commerce platforms such as Temu and Shein over safety practices, according to The Information. Last April, a congressional commission released a report detailing issues with Shein, Temu and other "Chinese 'fast fashion' platforms.'" They alleged the sites have numerous product safety hazards, are connected to the use of forced labor and are exploiting trade loopholes, among other concerns.

Persons: Peter Feldman, Douglas Dziak, Temu, Shein Organizations: U.S, Consumer Product Safety, U.S . Consumer Product Safety, Discount, Google, PDD Holdings, Amazon, CNBC Locations: U.S, China

☆ Instagram is adding comments to Stories, pulling users out of their DMs and back in front of advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA new feature for Instagram's Stories encourages community — the company just doesn't want this activity happening in closed groups away from advertisers. The social-media behemoth is launching a new tool that lets users leave comments under their followers' Stories. Only followers can see these comments, and only the people a user follows back can leave a comment. AdvertisementOne consequence of users spending more time in Instagram DMs is that there are fewer eyeballs for advertisers to target through Meta's powerful marketing platform. If this feature can successfully encourage users to start conversations within a Story instead of in DMs, they'll be more likely to keep swiping through Stories that show ads (a win for Instagram).

Persons: —, Z's, Adam Mosseri, Harry Stebbings, influencer Ariana Nathani, Purohit, I've, I'm, Instagram Organizations: Service, Instagram's, Business Locations: Instagram, DMs

☆ Inside Netflix's hunt for its next ads leader and what it signals about the company's future
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Reinhard parted ways with previous ad sales leader Peter Naylor in July, in Netflix's second ads leadership shake-up in two years. To get a sense of how Reinhard is approaching the hire, Business Insider spoke with 11 people who had inside knowledge about the search or who are close to Netflix's ad business. Others with those credentials who some insiders think could be in the mix include Pooja Midha, EVP and GM for Effectv, the ad sales arm of Comcast's cable division. "They view ad sales as having a lack of rigor and discipline," the first person who'd had conversations with Netflix said. Netflix also shook up its ad sales leadership twice, with its first ads leader Jeremi Gorman being replaced after a year, and then with Naylor's recent exit.

Persons: —, Amy Reinhard, Reinhard, Peter Naylor, Lisa Valentino, WBD's Ryan Gould, Jim Keller, Pooja Midha, who'd, Naylor, Dimitrios Kambouris, Greg Peters, Peters, hadn't, Jon Whitticom, Whitticom, Netflix's, Jeremi Gorman, they're Organizations: Service, Madison, Business, Netflix, Warner Bros, Disney, Effectv, Hulu, Google, Big Tech, Insiders, Prime, Microsoft, Street Journal, NFL Locations: Madison

☆ How the Furrha family earns nearly $20,000 a month on Snapchat — from posting 100 times a day to cooking complicated dishes
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-31 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The app also has a reward program for those who create short viral videos that are featured in the "Spotlight" section of the app, which the Furrha family also takes advantage of. AdvertisementThe Furrhas post at least 100 times a day on the main account, which increases to more than 200 when they share cooking videos. With their earnings increasing, the Furrha family has now ventured into real estate, buying and developing condos near the University of Michigan. Others, like Samah, are setting aside the money for the younger children to have when they grow up.

Persons: —, Samah, we've, Salem, Sammy Furrha, Sammy, who's Organizations: Service, Business, BI, Snap's Talent, University of Michigan Locations: Michigan, Salem

☆ Brazil's top court orders nationwide suspension of Elon Musk's X
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-30 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Brazil's supreme court on Friday ordered a nationwide suspension of Elon Musk's social network X after the company vowed to defy earlier court orders concerning content moderation and the appointment of a legal representative in the country. Hours later, the court issued a second order suspending some of the measures in its first 51-page order against X. A suspension of X in Brazil could cause business problems for Musk's already embattled company. Musk has repeatedly denounced de Moraes' court orders as censorship. In its Thursday statement, X said de Moraes court had taken "illegal actions" against the company.

Persons: Elon, Alexandre de Moraes, de Moraes, Moraes, Musk, Starlink, De Moraes, X, Voldemort Organizations: Globo, Apple, Google, Twitter, World Bank, CBS, Starlink, Musk's SpaceX, U.S, Brazil weren't Locations: Brazil, NATO, U.S

☆ Elon Musk's X can proceed to trial in case against Media Matters after Texas judge denies dismissal request
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A federal judge in Texas has ruled against Media Matters and its request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's X. Because of U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor's decision on Thursday, X's lawsuit against the nonprofit media watchdog and two of its staff members will proceed to trial on April 7. Attorneys representing X claimed the Media Matters report was "intentionally deceptive" and financially damaged the company. Media Matters and X didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. In August, O'Connor dismissed a request by Media Matters to force Musk to list Tesla as an interested party in X's lawsuit against the nonprofit.

Persons: Elon Musk's, District Judge Reed O'Connor's, Angelo Carusone, O'Connor, didn't, Tesla Organizations: Media Matters, U.S, District, Twitter, Media, Apple, IBM, Disney, X, Unilever, Mars, CVS Health, Elon Musk Locations: Athens, Greece, Texas, California, Meta

☆ Free TV Streaming Is Surging, and It's a Problem for Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The basic problem: It's unclear how these free services could support new, Hollywood-style programming even if they wanted to. Now, with YouTube making the jump to TV screens and "free, ad-supported TV" (FAST) services having a moment, where does that leave Hollywood? Tech and legacy media will battle over free TV in the coming monthsLooking ahead, the major players already ahead in free TV will likely continue to gain share. Free streaming may seem like a way for Hollywood to claw back viewers. If not, it's hard to say what winning in the battle for free TV will actually get them.

Persons: Prognosticators, YouTuber Jamie Clement, Tubi's, Sarah Lee, Evan Shapiro, There's, Jenn Vaux, it's, Max, Peacock, Roku, It's, Tubi, Adam Lewinson, WBD, Laura Florence, Horowitz Organizations: Netflix, Business, YouTube, Hollywood, Disney, Hulu, Warner, Comcast, FX Networks, Parks Associates, Nielsen, Media, Fox, ABC News, NFL, FAST, Horowitz Research, Hub Entertainment Research, Tech, Fire TV, Paramount, Pluto, SVP, Global, Fremantle, JPMorgan, CNBC Locations: Hollywood, Fremantle

☆ Cord cutters prepare for political ad blitz as campaigns flood Roku, Hulu ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Consumers who cut their cable cord in recent years are finding that there's one thing about linear TV they can't escape: political ads. With the U.S. presidential election less than 70 days away, campaigns are swarming streaming services like Roku and Hulu to such a degree that connected TVs are seeing more ad spending than internet platforms such as Facebook and Google . That's according to data provided to CNBC by political ad analytics firm AdImpact, which started tracking the connected TV (CTV) category in 2022. "When voters say they are watching TV, they don't' say 'I'm watching broadcast." AdImpact currently projects that overall political ad spending for the 2024 election cycle will be as high as $10.7 billion.

Persons: AdImpact, Jaime Vasil Winkelfoos, Winkelfoos Organizations: U.S, Facebook, Google, CNBC, CTV, Technologies Locations: Hulu, eMarketer

☆ Brands are so scared of culture wars and controversy that it's ripping apart the media business
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Related storiesBut it wasn't until Trump's 2016 election that brand safety really entered the mainstream marketing vernacular — and the culture wars. In 2023, more than 21,400 jobs were cut in the US media industry, according to the employment agency Challenger, Gray & Christmas. But some industry experts think it's too late to put the "content adjacency" genie back in the bottle. AdvertisementThe result, Tobaccowala fears, is a further winnowing of the media industry where only the biggest platforms and individual content creators survive.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's, Donald Trump, Alex Marlow, Breitbart, Mark Penn, Tobaccowala, Tucker Carlson, Ingraham, Jessica Sibley, Taylor, Taylor Swift, Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Penn, it's, Richard Raddon, Ben Shapiro, Shapiro, Gregory Woodman, John Deere, Davidson, Kid, Bud, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Gene J, Rob Kim Organizations: Service, Global Alliance, Responsible Media, Business, Breitbart News, News Corp, Groupe, Association for National, Companies, Giants, YouTube, Fox, Fox News, Facebook, Poets Department, Challenger, Getty, Penn, Publishers, The Daily, State of, US Department of State, Supply, Harley, Associated Press Locations: Ukraine, State of Texas, America

☆ Move over Hinge and Tinder, there's a new crop of dating apps. Meet the founders behind 11 startups sparking romance.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-26 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

AdvertisementJoshi's dating app, Friend of a Friend, has ads plastered around New York City. AdvertisementThe anti-swipersWhen setting out to build a dating app, swiping fatigue was top of mind for Vaish Sesetty and Cyrus Belsoi, the founders of the dating app Pique. AdvertisementLast year, Chernyak followed her frustration out of her legal career and launched the video-profile dating app Fast-Forward Dating App with two cofounders. AdvertisementThe Instagram DMsOne of the biggest dating apps isn't even a dating app — it's Instagram. Fast-Forward Dating App is a video-profile dating app where users answer five questions on camera with no edits or filters.

Persons: —, Forbes, who'd, Serena Kerrigan, Kerrigan, Rex Woodbury, Vaish Sesetty, Cyrus Belsoi, Belsoi, Karima Ben Abdelmalek, France who's, Abdelmalek, they've, Happn, Joe Feminella, Feminella, Hannah, Elle Wilson, Wilson, Danielle Dietzek, Julie Griggs, Fourplay, Nicole Fara Silver, Dietzek, Anushka Joshi, Friend, Joshi, Derek Lee, Lee, Boo, David Chang, Richard Chang, Katya Chernyak, Chernyak, Aeen Avini, Victoria Todis, Bumble, Nandini Mullaji, Mullaji, Chad DePue, who's, Jeremy Liew, Sitch, Alex Weitzman, hasn't, Weitzman, Amori, Tabitha, Ethan, Pique, Lieu Organizations: Service, Match, Business, Bradley, Microsoft, Daybreak Ventures, Amazon Web Services, Manna, New, Lightspeed Locations: New York City, York City, Paris, TikTok, Park, Brooklyn, France, singlehood, Victoria, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Sitch

Harris called for ending taxes on tips while rolling out a series of populist economic proposals last week, echoing a policy Trump already supported. The vice president pointed to Trump’s opposition to a bipartisan border security and immigration bill, which turned Republicans against the measure. Vice President Kamala Harris gestures as she steps from Air Force Two upon arriving at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on August 23, 2024. As the sitting vice president, Harris’s response to an economic calamity or foreign crisis would be closely scrutinized. The spokesperson also said there have been more than 1,000 sign-ups for Students for Harris chapters across the country since the launch of Harris’ campaign.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Harris, eyeing, Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, who’s, ” Kennedy, Biden, showdowns, I’m, Hawaii Democratic Sen, Brian Schatz, “, ” Harris, ”, she’s, ‘ We’re, ’ She’s, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Kamala, mispronounced Harris ’, Harris ’, fumed, he’s, ” Trump, La Capra, Julia Nikhinson, let’s, familiarizing, —, Kevin Lamarque, Tulsi Gabbard, Gabbard, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Austin Steele, Quentin Fulks, Tim Walz, Joshua Martin, Rebecca Wright, Pinar Yildirim, Deja Foxx, “ Young, Brian Kemp, Kemp, Vance, Trump’s, ” Vance, Sean Hannity, “ We’re, ” Kemp, “ Kamala Harris, Wisconsin . Ohio Sen, Marco Bello, Walz, ” CNN’s Ted Barrett, Kate Sullivan, Kristen Holmes, Ali Main, Aaron Pellish, Alejandra Jaramillo, Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: CNN, Democratic National Convention, Trump, Democratic, ABC, Hawaii Democratic, Republican, Biden, Social Security, Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, Reuters, Union, Hawaii Rep, United Center, MSNBC, United, Minnesota Gov, Convention, University of Pennsylvania, Facebook, Harris, Georgia Gov, Georgia Republican, Party, GOP, Fox News Locations: Arizona, Trump, Glendale, Hawaii, Chicago, Ohio, Georgia, Nevada, Las Vegas, Mexican, North Carolina , Nevada , Arizona, Wisconsin , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Joint Base Andrews , Maryland, California, Chicago , Illinois, Washington, Asheboro, United States, Wisconsin . Ohio, Kenosha, Kenosha , Wisconsin

☆ Show don't tell: Harris lets her potential to make history speak for itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

CHICAGO — The delegates wore Suffragette white; Vice President Kamala Harris wore black. But she does not speak about what it would mean to have a Black woman president in her speeches or TV ads. On Monday, wearing Suffragette white, Clinton placed Harris and herself in the nation’s long struggle for gender equity. Benjamin Lowy / Getty Images fileMoreover, the electorate has shifted, thanks to Clinton, Trump and the fall of Roe v. Wade. After the 2016 election, the Democratic National Committee conducted extensive focus-group and polling research to try to understand what happened.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Eva Longoria, Harris, Hillary Clinton, ” Harris, ”, Tom Perez, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, “, Nancy Pelosi, David Axelrod, ” Pelosi, —, Drew Angerer, Clinton, “ We’ve, ” Clinton, Doug Emoff, Gretchen Whitmer, Harris “, who’s, Trump, Harris hasn’t, They’re, Benjamin Lowy, Roe, Wade, Court’s Roe, Biden, ’, Perez Organizations: CHICAGO, Democratic, Convention, Democratic National, University of Chicago, Michigan Gov, Center for Women, Politics, Democratic National Convention, Getty, Democratic National Committee Locations: White, United States, Philadelphia

watch nowAs the 2024 U.S. elections reach their home stretch, crypto companies are opening their wallets to try and influence the results. Nearly half of all the corporate money flowing into the election has come from the crypto industry, according to a report this week from the nonprofit watchdog group Public Citizen. More than 90% of the corporate crypto cash that's been raised was brought in this election cycle. Public Citizen's report found that of the 42 primary races that attracted money from crypto-backed super PACs, the candidate picked by the crypto industry won 36. "When Fairshake and its affiliates spend money to influence races, either by attacking crypto skeptics or boosting crypto supporters, the ads don't mention crypto at all," said Claypool.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Rick Claypool, Coinbase, Andreessen Horowitz, Crypto, Brian Armstrong, Fairshake, It's, Claypool, Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris's, Joe Biden, Harris, Faryar Shirzad, Trump, CNBC hasn't Organizations: Public Citizen, Securities and Exchange Commission, Republican, Senate, Supreme, Citizens, Federal, PAC, Public, CNBC, Trump, White Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, New York, California, cryptocurrencies, San Francisco, Nashville, United States

Check price at Fubo What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Hulu + Live TVHulu + Live TV Hulu + Live TV includes over 90 channels, along with Hulu's on-demand library and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. Check price at Hulu What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Check price at ESPN What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Check price at Amazon Prime Video What we like Check mark icon A check mark.

Persons: we've, Hulu's, There's, Max Max, Max, It's, Peacock, don't, We've Organizations: Business, AMC, TNT, TBS, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, NBA TV, NFL Network, MLB Network ABC, MLB, AMC TNT, Pro, Elite, NBA, NHL, TV, FS1, Hulu, Disney Plus, Disney, Nintendo, Showtime, MLB Network, NFL Network ABC, NFL, ION AMC, Tennis Channel, UFC, Doesn't, Paramount, Paramount Plus, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, UEFA Champions, Paramount Pictures, CBS Sports Network, Big Ten, UEFA Champions League, HBO, Max, Warner Bros, Parks, Recreation, NBC Sports, Amazon, Thursday, Football, Apple, Leagues Cup, MLS Locations: Hulu

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Peloton, Chewy, Uber, Burlington Stores, BJ's Wholesale Club, Roku and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

JPMorgan downgrades Peloton to neutral from overweight "Following Thursday's +35% appreciation (vs. SPX -1%) we are moving from Overweight to Neutral rated as PTON's return to growth in CF Subs & Revenue remains challenging, & visibility is limited given secular & macro pressures." Wells Fargo reiterates Burlington Stores as top pick "We reiterate BURL as our "Top Pick" and see a highly visible growth/margin bull case unfolding in real time. The combination of 1) comp acceleration and 2) margin unlocks should be powerful, and we raise 2Q/FY numbers above Street. Wells Fargo upgrades BJ's Wholesale Club to overweight from equal weight "Margin investment is the right strategic shift despite n/t pain, and supplements robust member gains. Valuation is tricky, but comp ramp/return to algo in '25 point to upside."

Persons: Piper Sandler, Warby Parker, Uber, Nomura, Wells, BURL, Goldman Sachs, Bill.com, Guggenheim Organizations: Nvidia, RBC, Westlake, JPMorgan, CF Subs, Revenue, Bank of America, Waymo, Tesla, Burlington Stores, Wholesale

☆ Ex-Google staffers are building a social-mapping platform for online and IRL communities
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-21 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"We essentially see ourselves as a Google Maps for communities," PamPam cofounder Helena Jaramillo told Business Insider. The platform draws its data from Mapbox and Google Places. "We used all these apps obviously to do that, Google Maps or getting lists or recommendations from friends, but it just never really felt right." The team behind Zenly, which Snapchat acquired and morphed into its Snap Map feature, is building another new social map app called "Bump." AdvertisementPamPam sees its creators as "community creators," Jaramillo explained.

Persons: —, PamPam, Helena Jaramillo, Jaramillo, Carlo Jörges, Jörges, We've, What's, Snapchat, Raya, monetization Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Big Tech, Facebook, YouTube Locations: New York City, Philadelphia, Mapbox, doesn't

☆ Streaming is getting more expensive for consumers. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-16 | by ( Justine Fisher | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Now, looking for a return on their content investments, Disney , Warner Bros. Disney said last week that its combined streaming services — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ — were profitable for the first time during its fiscal third quarter. Ahead of earnings, Disney announced it's raising streaming prices by $1 to $2 a month for Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Similar to Disney, Paramount Global said last week in its quarterly earnings conference call that its streaming business, centered on flagship service Paramount+, reached profitability. Discovery said during its second-quarter earnings conference call that streaming ad revenue doubled year over year.

Persons: Jaque Silva, Mike Proulx, Disney, Bob Iger, Iger, Discovery's Max, Comcast's Peacock, Gunnar Wiedenfels, Forrester's Proulx, Proulx, Discovery's Wiedenfels, Discovery, Tim Nollen, Ted Sarandos, Sarandos Organizations: Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Forrester, Hulu, ESPN, Warner Bros, Paramount, Paramount Global, Discovery, Max, Hub Entertainment Research, Getty, Media, Macquarie, Westend61 Locations: Paramount's, Peacock

This digital ad posted by Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania, about a week before Biden eventually dropped his bid, was the blueprint. Almost immediately, Democrats saw a surge of support — mostly from disillusioned Democratic voters. As of this writing, it’s now Republicans in battleground states and districts who are begging their nominee to change course. As for the GOP, Trump and his allies have done everything they can to mold the GOP in Trump’s image, and anyone who doesn’t share that view has essentially been purged. Of course, the real challenge for both Republicans will be figuring out how to navigate Trump’s appearances in their respective states.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, “, Dave McCormick, Democratic Sen, Bob Casey’s, Kamala Harris, it’s, Donald Trump isn’t, Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Harris, Ramaswamy, Hillary Clinton, Nikki Haley, wouldn’t, they’d, —, Sen, Pat Toomey, Toomey, McCormick, Brian Kemp, Larry Hogan, Domenici, Sherrod Brown, Clinton, I’d, Mike Rogers, can’t Organizations: Democrats, CBS News, Democratic, Republican, Senate, Trump, GOP, NPR, Republican Party, Biden, Republicans, White, Democratic Party, Republican Gov, Rogers Locations: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio, Trump, Michigan

Businessman Eric Hovde won the Wisconsin Republican primary for Senate, NBC News projects, setting up a critical battleground state race against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Baldwin’s seat is a top priority for both parties in the battle for control of the closely divided Senate. Baldwin has also fared better than the top of the Democratic ticket in some recent Wisconsin polling. An independently wealthy businessman, Hovde, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2012, has already loaned his campaign $13 million. With Hovde long viewed as the favorite to win the GOP nomination, the two candidates have already been trading barbs.

Persons: Eric Hovde, Democratic Sen, Tammy Baldwin, Hovde, Donald Trump, Baldwin, Joe Biden, “, Eric Hub, ”, Tony Evers ’, Ilhan Omar, Don Samuels, Michelle Fischbach, Fischbach, Steve Boyd, Angie Craig, Joe Teirab, Teirab, Craig, Jahana Hayes, Sen, George Logan, Hayes, Logan, Biden, Chris Murphy, Matthew Corey, Phil Scott, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Gerald Malloy, Esther Charlestin, Scott Organizations: Wisconsin Republican, Senate, NBC News, Democratic, Republicans, White, GOP, Democratic Gov, Associated Press, Minneapolis City, Hamas, Trump, District, Marine, Republican, AP, Republican Gov, Middlebury Selectboard Locations: Wisconsin, Minnesota , Connecticut, Vermont, Minnesota, Washington, Connecticut's, Connecticut

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., fended off several primary challengers Tuesday, NBC News projects, a victory for progressives after two of her fellow members of the “squad” suffered defeats this summer. Omar defeated former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, who lost to her by just 2 percentage points in the 2022 primary, and two other challengers in Minnesota’s 5th District. Unlike other progressives who have sharply criticized Israel, Omar did not face an onslaught of attack ads from outside groups. At the same point in the 2022 primary, her campaign had spent just $71,000. Samuels’ campaign, meanwhile, spent $1.2 million on this year’s race.

Persons: Ilhan Omar, ”, Omar, Don Samuels, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, Missouri —, Bush, Bowman, Samuels, Samuels ’, Joe Biden’s, “, ” Samuels, ” “ Omar, Biden’s, Biden Organizations: NBC News, Minneapolis City Council, Democratic Party’s, United Democracy, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Israel, EV, Daily Locations: Minnesota’s 5th, New York, Missouri, Israel, Minnesota, Minneapolis

☆ Reddit's increased reliance on Google traffic has Wall Street anxious to see if visitors sign up
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Reddit calls them logged-out users and, based on some industry estimates, they only monetize at about one-third the rate of logged-in users. The number of logged-out users surpassed logged-in users in the fourth quarter, and the gap has since widened. Logged-in users increased 31% in the second quarter to 42 million, while logged-out users increased at a much more robust rate of 74% to 49.2 million. Alan Gould, managing director at Loop Capital, said Google makes up "the vast majority of the logged-out users." By 2025, Reddit's logged-in users could represent an ARPU of $17.60 compared to $5.90 for logged-out users, Black said, based on the firm's estimates.

Persons: Spencer Platt, Tom Wahlin's, Hacker, Wahlin, we're, Lily Ray, Amsive, Ray, Reddit, Alan Gould, Daniel Konstantinovic, Konstantinovic, Benjamin Black, monetization, they'll, Reddit's, Black, Jen Wong, Wong, Steve Huffman, They'll, Huffman Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Getty, Aer, Google, U.S, Loop, Deutsche Bank, CNBC, AllGear Digital, YouTube Locations: New York City, U.S, Reddit

☆ How ‘Deepfake Elon Musk’ Became the Internet’s Biggest Scammer
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Stuart A. Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

How ‘Deepfake Elon Musk’ Became the Internet’s Biggest Scammer An A.I.-powered version of Mr. Musk has appeared in thousands of inauthentic ads, contributing to billions in fraud. Mr. Beauchamp, an 82-year-old retiree, saw a video late last year of Mr. Musk endorsing a radical investment opportunity that promised rapid returns. “I mean, the picture of him — it was him,” Mr. Beauchamp said about the video he saw of Mr. Musk. Original A.I. Audio Original Original A.I.

Persons: ‘ Deepfake Elon, Musk, Steve Beauchamp, Elon, Beauchamp, —, ” Mr, ‘ Pick, ’ that’s, “ It’s, ”, Francesco Cavalli, Scammers, Thorold Barker, Sensity, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, “ Elon, Donald J, Trump, Elon Musk, Andrew Forrest, scammers, Lou Steinberg, Cavalli, Eastern Europe — cobble, “ There’s, Molly White, Finn Brunton, Davis, “ I’m Organizations: A.I, Deloitte, Wall, Street, Amazon, India, Facebook, YouTube, Better Business Bureau, CNET, Meta, Hong Kong’s Securities, Futures Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigations, TED, Fox News, Eastern Europe —, Tesla, University of California, CNN, New York Times, Magna, The New York Times, Better Locations: Sensity, India, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Ontario, Canada

☆ After Democrats' long-held edge, Team Trump starts to close the battleground ad spending gap: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

After Democrats’ long-held edge, Team Trump starts to close the battleground ad spending gapBy Ben KamisarIf you live in a swing state and are already sick of seeing presidential campaign ads, buckle up. Over that same period of time, the Trump campaign spent less than $230,000. But over the last two weeks, a dramatic shift from the Trump campaign has helped close the gap. It has spent a total of $13 million in those key states, compared to $16.5 million from the Harris campaign. But we’ve written before about how Republicans have cut into the Democrats’ fundraising edge, and these ad spending numbers show the fruits of that effort.

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