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Argentina At A Crossroads: Rise Of A Populist Maverick In Crucial Presidential Election

ARGENTINA

(CTN NEWS) – Argentina stands at a crossroads as it heads toward a crucial presidential election, with a foul-mouthed, far-right populist politician at the forefront of the political landscape.

Javier Milei, a controversial figure described by some as a blend of Boris Johnson’s charisma and the disconcerting Chucky doll’s unpredictability, has captured the nation’s attention.

This election takes place against a backdrop of deep-rooted anti-establishment sentiments and severe economic turmoil in South America’s second-largest economy.

Election-eve polls indicate that Milei, a charismatic and wild-haired political outsider, could potentially secure a first-round victory, although a November runoff remains a likely scenario.

His unorthodox journey into politics began after he gained fame for his television appearances, where he expounded on topics ranging from monetary policy to sex.

At his final campaign event in Buenos Aires, the 53-year-old “anarcho-capitalist” addressed a massive crowd in a 15,000-capacity stadium, surrounded by banners proclaiming him as “The Only Solution” to Argentina’s economic troubles.

Milei declared passionately, “Whatever it takes, we have to win on Sunday. It’s going to be the first round! Round one!”

He even likened this political endeavor to a World Cup victory, suggesting that his ideas of freedom will lead to a victorious transformation for the nation.

Milei has gathered a strong following through his political coalition, “La Libertad Avanza” (Freedom Advances), which is dedicated to advancing libertarian principles.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Milei’s main rival, Sergio Massa, a Peronist politician and the current finance minister, sought support from factory workers in suburban Buenos Aires.

Despite his government overseeing a severe economic slump and rising poverty, Massa aimed to counter Milei’s apocalyptic portrayals of Argentina.

He stated, “It makes me really angry when I hear those who want to govern Argentina say we are a terrible country. We’re a wonderful country.”

The third prominent candidate, Patricia Bullrich, a conservative and former security minister, labeled Milei’s ideas as “bad and dangerous.”

His proposals include abolishing the central bank, loosening gun control laws, and even legalizing the sale of human organs.

Bullrich urged parents to discourage their children from supporting Milei, who has garnered a fervent following among disillusioned young Argentinians.

Milei, a freewheeling TV personality who transitioned into politics in 2021 after being elected to Congress, has drawn comparisons to former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Milei himself has acknowledged an alignment with global leaders who oppose socialism, and he minimizes Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol riots.

The election in Argentina has become a highly charged and contentious affair, with Milei’s rise indicative of a broader global trend of unconventional and polarizing political figures reshaping the political landscape.

Further comparisons emerge as some liken Javier Milei to Brazil’s former far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro has openly endorsed Milei’s push for “real change” and extended his support to the Argentinian politician.

Bolsonaro’s congressman son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, is set to travel to Buenos Aires for Sunday’s vote.

Additionally, Chile’s ultra-conservative former presidential candidate, who is also a member of the European parliament for Spain’s far-right party Vox, will be present.

The striking similarities between Milei’s campaign and Bolsonaro’s rise to power in Brazil are unsurprising, as they share key personnel, including Milei’s social media chief, Fernando Cerimedo, who played a role in Bolsonaro’s successful 2018 campaign.

Bolsonaro’s victory in Brazil was marked by pledges to champion Brazil’s “cidadãos de bem” (upstanding citizens), while Milei promises to govern for all “argentinos de bien” in Argentina.

Both leaders employ highly orchestrated rallies, giving an impression of widespread grassroots support.

Bolsonaro used similar tactics, frequently arriving at small-town airports filled with enthusiastic supporters.

Both Milei and Bolsonaro present themselves as anti-communist crusaders on divine missions to rescue their countries from leftist influences, often making unfounded claims about electoral fraud.

On Thursday, Milei alleged that, according to his experts, between 2.5% and 5% of votes for his party were not counted in August’s primary, which serves as a dress rehearsal for the election, and which he won.

These allegations echo Bolsonaro’s previous attacks on Brazil’s voting system, which culminated in the January 8, 2023, insurrection in Brasília.

This resonance between the two leaders reflects a broader trend of populist, right-wing movements in the region, challenging the status quo and shaping the political landscape in South America.

In a recent interview on Crónica TV, Javier Milei was asked whether he expected fraud during the upcoming election, to which he responded with a straightforward “Yes, obviously.”

This outlook of anticipated fraud has raised concerns, with the potential of an Argentinian leader seen as a combination of Bolsonaro and Trump causing unease among progressive voters and even Pope Francis, who has faced Milei’s verbal criticism, labeling him a “lefty son of a bitch.”

Father José María “Pepe” Di Paola, a priest in Buenos Aires closely associated with the Pope, expressed his astonishment at Milei’s unconventional political style.

Working in some of the most deprived shantytowns in Buenos Aires, Di Paola voiced his concerns over Milei’s promises to cut social spending and his criticism of the concept of social justice, even comparing him unfavorably to Bolsonaro.

Pope Francis, without naming Milei directly, issued a veiled warning about the dangers of charismatic populists, referring to them as “pied piper of Hamelin”-style figures and “messianic clowns.”

He emphasized that “there is only one Messiah.”

Experts anticipate that a Milei victory could lead to a turbulent period, with concerns about governability, social unrest, and political chaos.

Benjamin Gedan, the director of the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program, highlighted the active and engaged Argentine population, suggesting that abrupt austerity measures proposed by Milei could provoke significant pushback.

Argentina, as a G20 economy, would be rolling the dice by embracing radical policy ideas.

The value of Argentina’s peso has experienced a sharp decline against the dollar in recent weeks, which some experts attribute to Milei’s vocal criticism of the currency he aims to replace.

Even allies of Milei acknowledge that his triumph would bring about upheaval, and they believe that the choice lies in who can manage the chaos more effectively.

The upcoming election has heightened tensions and political engagement in Argentina, with both supporters and opponents of Milei closely watching the situation unfold.

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Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding, But Still Accounting 48% Search Revenue

Google

Google is so closely associated with its key product that its name is a verb that signifies “search.” However, Google’s dominance in that sector is dwindling.

According to eMarketer, Google will lose control of the US search industry for the first time in decades next year.

Google will remain the dominant search player, accounting for 48% of American search advertising revenue. And, remarkably, Google is still increasing its sales in the field, despite being the dominating player in search since the early days of the George W. Bush administration. However, Amazon is growing at a quicker rate.

google

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding

Amazon will hold over a quarter of US search ad dollars next year, rising to 27% by 2026, while Google will fall even more, according to eMarketer.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the forecast.

Lest you think you’ll have to switch to Bing or Yahoo, this isn’t the end of Google or anything really near.

Google is the fourth-most valued public firm in the world. Its market worth is $2.1 trillion, trailing just Apple, Microsoft, and the AI chip darling Nvidia. It also maintains its dominance in other industries, such as display advertisements, where it dominates alongside Facebook’s parent firm Meta, and video ads on YouTube.

To put those “other” firms in context, each is worth more than Delta Air Lines’ total market value. So, yeah, Google is not going anywhere.

Nonetheless, Google faces numerous dangers to its operations, particularly from antitrust regulators.

On Monday, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled that Google must open up its Google Play Store to competitors, dealing a significant blow to the firm in its long-running battle with Fortnite creator Epic Games. Google announced that it would appeal the verdict.

In August, a federal judge ruled that Google has an illegal monopoly on search. That verdict could lead to the dissolution of the company’s search operation. Another antitrust lawsuit filed last month accuses Google of abusing its dominance in the online advertising business.

Meanwhile, European regulators have compelled Google to follow tough new standards, which have resulted in multiple $1 billion-plus fines.

google

Pixa Bay

Google’s Search Dominance Is Unwinding

On top of that, the marketplace is becoming more difficult on its own.

TikTok, the fastest-growing social network, is expanding into the search market. And Amazon has accomplished something few other digital titans have done to date: it has established a habit.

When you want to buy anything, you usually go to Amazon, not Google. Amazon then buys adverts to push companies’ products to the top of your search results, increasing sales and earning Amazon a greater portion of the revenue. According to eMarketer, it is expected to generate $27.8 billion in search revenue in the United States next year, trailing only Google’s $62.9 billion total.

And then there’s AI, the technology that (supposedly) will change everything.

Why search in stilted language for “kendall jenner why bad bunny breakup” or “police moving violation driver rights no stop sign” when you can just ask OpenAI’s ChatGPT, “What’s going on with Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny?” in “I need help fighting a moving violation involving a stop sign that wasn’t visible.” Google is working on exactly this technology with its Gemini product, but its success is far from guaranteed, especially with Apple collaborating with OpenAI and other businesses rapidly joining the market.

A Google spokeswoman referred to a blog post from last week in which the company unveiled ads in its AI overviews (the AI-generated text that appears at the top of search results). It’s Google’s way of expressing its ability to profit on a changing marketplace while retaining its business, even as its consumers steadily transition to ask-and-answer AI and away from search.

google

Google has long used a single catchphrase to defend itself against opponents who claim it is a monopoly abusing its power: competition is only a click away. Until recently, that seemed comically obtuse. Really? We are going to switch to Bing? Or Duck Duck Go? Give me a break.

But today, it feels more like reality.

Google is in no danger of disappearing. However, every highly dominating company faces some type of reckoning over time. GE, a Dow mainstay for more than a century, was broken up last year and is now a shell of its previous dominance. Sears declared bankruptcy in 2022 and is virtually out of business. US Steel, long the foundation of American manufacturing, is attempting to sell itself to a Japanese corporation.

Could we remember Google in the same way that we remember Yahoo or Ask Jeeves in decades? These next few years could be significant.

SOURCE | CNN

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2024 | Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Elon Musk’s X Platform Over Warrant In Trump Case

trump

Washington — Trump Media,  The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear an appeal from social media platform X about a search warrant acquired by prosecutors in the election meddling case against former President Donald Trump.

The justices did not explain their rationale, and there were no recorded dissents.

The firm, which was known as Twitter before being purchased by billionaire Elon Musk, claims a nondisclosure order that prevented it from informing Trump about the warrant obtained by special counsel Jack Smith’s team violated its First Amendment rights.

The business also claims Trump should have had an opportunity to exercise executive privilege. If not reined in, the government may employ similar tactics to intercept additional privileged communications, their lawyers contended.

trump

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Elon Musk’s X Platform Over Warrant In Trump Case

Two neutral electronic privacy groups also joined in, urging the high court to hear the case on First Amendment grounds.

Prosecutors, however, claim that the corporation never shown that Trump utilized the account for official purposes, therefore executive privilege is not a problem. A lower court also determined that informing Trump could have compromised the current probe.

trump

Trump utilized his Twitter account in the weeks preceding up to his supporters’ attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to spread false assertions about the election, which prosecutors claim were intended to create doubt in the democratic process.

The indictment describes how Trump used his Twitter account to encourage his followers to travel to Washington on Jan. 6, pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification, and falsely claiming that the Capitol crowd, which battered police officers and destroyed glass, was peaceful.

musk trump

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Appeal From Elon Musk’s X Platform Over Warrant In Trump Case

That case is now moving forward following the Supreme Court’s verdict in July, which granted Trump full immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president.

The warrant arrived at Twitter amid quick changes implemented by Musk, who bought the company in 2022 and has since cut off most of its workforce, including those dedicated to combating disinformation and hate speech.

He also welcomed back a vast list of previously banned users, including Trump, and endorsed him for the 2024 presidential election.

SOURCE | AP

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The Supreme Court Turns Down Biden’s Government Appeal in a Texas Emergency Abortion Matter.

Supreme Court

(VOR News) – A ruling that prohibits emergency abortions that contravene the Supreme Court law in the state of Texas, which has one of the most stringent abortion restrictions in the country, has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. The United States Supreme Court upheld this decision.

The justices did not provide any specifics regarding the underlying reasons for their decision to uphold an order from a lower court that declared hospitals cannot be legally obligated to administer abortions if doing so would violate the law in the state of Texas.

Institutions are not required to perform abortions, as stipulated in the decree. The common populace did not investigate any opposing viewpoints. The decision was made just weeks before a presidential election that brought abortion to the forefront of the political agenda.

This decision follows the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended abortion nationwide.

In response to a request from the administration of Vice President Joe Biden to overturn the lower court’s decision, the justices expressed their disapproval.

The government contends that hospitals are obligated to perform abortions in compliance with federal legislation when the health or life of an expectant patient is in an exceedingly precarious condition.

This is the case in regions where the procedure is prohibited. The difficulty hospitals in Texas and other states are experiencing in determining whether or not routine care could be in violation of stringent state laws that prohibit abortion has resulted in an increase in the number of complaints concerning pregnant women who are experiencing medical distress being turned away from emergency rooms.

The administration cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that bore a striking resemblance to the one that was presented to it in Idaho at the beginning of the year. The justices took a limited decision in that case to allow the continuation of emergency abortions without interruption while a lawsuit was still being heard.

In contrast, Texas has been a vocal proponent of the injunction’s continued enforcement. Texas has argued that its circumstances are distinct from those of Idaho, as the state does have an exemption for situations that pose a significant hazard to the health of an expectant patient.

According to the state, the discrepancy is the result of this exemption. The state of Idaho had a provision that safeguarded a woman’s life when the issue was first broached; however, it did not include protection for her health.

Certified medical practitioners are not obligated to wait until a woman’s life is in imminent peril before they are legally permitted to perform an abortion, as determined by the state supreme court.

The state of Texas highlighted this to the Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, medical professionals have criticized the Texas statute as being perilously ambiguous, and a medical board has declined to provide a list of all the disorders that are eligible for an exception. Furthermore, the statute has been criticized for its hazardous ambiguity.

For an extended period, termination of pregnancies has been a standard procedure in medical treatment for individuals who have been experiencing significant issues. It is implemented in this manner to prevent catastrophic outcomes, such as sepsis, organ failure, and other severe scenarios.

Nevertheless, medical professionals and hospitals in Texas and other states with strict abortion laws have noted that it is uncertain whether or not these terminations could be in violation of abortion prohibitions that include the possibility of a prison sentence. This is the case in regions where abortion prohibitions are exceedingly restrictive.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which resulted in restrictions on the rights of women to have abortions in several Republican-ruled states, the Texas case was revisited in 2022.

As per the orders that were disclosed by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, hospitals are still required to provide abortions in cases that are classified as dire emergency.

As stipulated in a piece of health care legislation, the majority of hospitals are obligated to provide medical assistance to patients who are experiencing medical distress. This is in accordance with the law.

The state of Texas maintained that hospitals should not be obligated to provide abortions throughout the litigation, as doing so would violate the state’s constitutional prohibition on abortions. In its January judgment, the 5th United States Circuit Court of Appeals concurred with the state and acknowledged that the administration had exceeded its authority.

SOURCE: AP

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