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Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Saturday morning chaired a <keyword id="20255269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pre-budget-meeting" source="keywords">pre-budget meeting</keyword> with Finance Ministers of all States and Union Territories. The Pre-Budget Meeting is organised by the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs with Finance Ministers of all the States and Union Territories (with Legislature) to take suggestions for the upcoming <keyword id="20387181" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget-2024-25" source="keywords">Union Budget 2024-25</keyword>. Ministers of State along with other stakeholders are participating in the meeting and visuals showed Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, and finance minister of Rajasthan Diya Kumari at the Bharat Mandapam venue before the meeting commenced this morning. The Union Finance Ministry had begun consultations on the budget a few days ago with different stakeholders of economy. Sitharaman has met economists, finance and capital market experts and industry bodies. Sitharaman chaired the first pre-budget consultations with leading economists on June 19. The meeting was attended by Union minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the finance secretary, secretaries of the departments of economic affairs, revenue, financial services and corporate affairs and the chief economic adviser. Meanwhile, Sitharaman will also chair the 53rd <keyword id="19922145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax" source="keywords">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (GST) Council Meeting scheduled in the second half of the day. This is the first meeting of the <keyword id="19994390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="GST Council" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="GST Council">GST council</keyword> after the formation of the new government. State finance ministers will also be present at the 53rd meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council. As is the norm, the GST Council gets together to discuss issues pertaining to the GST regime, such as tax rates, modifications to policies, and administrative challenges. The Council is a key player in shaping India's indirect tax system, making sure that it facilitates company and citizen tax relief while also being in line with the country's economic objectives. The information on the agenda of Council meeting is not yet in public domain. However, the decisions and recommendations arising from the 53rd GST Council meeting will be closely watched by various stakeholders, including businesses, policymakers, and the general public, as they have the potential to influence taxation, trade, and overall dynamics. Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017, and states were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for five years. Meanwhile, preparation has commenced for the Union budget 2024-25, the first for the third term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led <keyword id="22141478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance-government" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Democratic Alliance government" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Democratic Alliance government">National Democratic Alliance government</keyword>.

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman chairs pre-budget meeting with finance ministers of states, UTs; GST Council to meet later today

New Delhi, Senior BJP leader <keyword id="19911645" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh" source="keywords">Rajnath Singh</keyword> on Friday proposed Narendra <keyword id="19899684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi" source="keywords">Modi</keyword>'s name as the leader of the <keyword id="19938590" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NDA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NDA">NDA</keyword> <keyword id="20480987" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliamentary-Party" source="keywords">Parliamentary Party</keyword> and the proposal was seconded by his party colleagues <keyword id="19899491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amit-Shah" source="keywords">Amit Shah</keyword> and <keyword id="19897455" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nitin-Gadkari" source="keywords">Nitin Gadkari</keyword> as well as top <keyword id="19938590" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NDA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NDA">NDA</keyword> leaders. At a meeting of the NDA <keyword id="20480987" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliamentary-Party" source="keywords">parliamentary party</keyword> here at the central hall of old Parliament house, Singh also credited <keyword id="19899684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi" source="keywords">Modi</keyword> for expanding the BJP-led <keyword id="20344628" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Democratic Alliance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Democratic Alliance">National Democratic Alliance</keyword> and said this grouping is not a compulsion but a commitment for the BJP. After Shah, Gadkari also seconded the three proposals made by Singh to make Modi the leader of the BJP in Lok Sabha, of the NDA parliamentary party and the BJP parliamentary party. Senior NDA leaders, including H D Kumaraswamy, Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, also supported the resolutions, paving the way for Modi to become <keyword id="19911515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister" source="keywords">prime minister</keyword> for the third time. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/computex-2024-intel-debuts-lunar-lake-chips-with-focus-on-microsofts-ai-ambitions-for-pcs/articleshow/110745670.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/computex-2024-intel-debuts-lunar-lake-chips-with-focus-on-microsofts-ai-ambitions-for-pcs/articleshow/110745670.cms" target="_blank">Computex 2024: Intel Debuts Lunar Lake Chips With Focus On Microsoft’s AI Ambitions For PCs</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/may-auto-sales-tata-motors-and-hyundai-continue-to-fight-for-the-second-spot-as-car-sales-grow-by-4/articleshow/110649713.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/may-auto-sales-tata-motors-and-hyundai-continue-to-fight-for-the-second-spot-as-car-sales-grow-by-4/articleshow/110649713.cms" target="_blank">May Auto Sales – Tata Motors and Hyundai continue to fight for the second spot as car sales grow by 4%</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-june-2024/slidelist/110591467.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-and-two-wheelers-launching-in-india-in-june-2024/slidelist/110591467.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming cars and two-wheelers launching in India in June 2024</a>

Rajnath Singh proposes Narendra Modi as NDA parliamentary party leader, top NDA leaders support

The votes are in, the election commission is armed, and tallies are finally being made. As lakhs of viewers tune into their news to update themselves, many are coming away shocked at the current standings. Despite confident promises of capturing 400 of the 543 Indian seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) has barely won a dozen or two seats more than the halfway mark of 272, as per the initial few rounds of counting. This is still an impressive position to be in, and certainly enough to help the BJP-led <keyword id="105903" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-democratic-alliance" source="Orion">National Democratic Alliance</keyword> (<keyword id="19938590" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="keywords">NDA</keyword>) make another term. However, the overwhelming, yet lukewarm, support has inadvertently deflated the ‘Abki baar 400 paar’ chant echoed by the party throughout its campaigning. Further, this comes mere days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the slogan the ‘common man’s mantra’. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Exit polls gone wrong" comment="subhead" text="Exit polls gone wrong"><keyword id="21129157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exit-polls" source="keywords">Exit polls</keyword> gone wrong</cmsannotation> Party conjecture aside, most exit polls had also predicted a landslide victory for the NDA, with some even predicting the party crossing the 400 marks, helping the alliance comfortably bring in a third term for current Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>. However, Congress leaders staunchly dismissed these findings, asserting that the <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">INDIA</keyword> alliance will achieve at least over 250 seats this election. While exit polls have exercised a notoriously patchy reputation for delivering inaccurate findings in the past, the surveys might have gotten it wrong far more than usual this time around. For instance, the BJP has been predicted to win 400 seats by News 24-Today’s Chanakya poll, 358 as per Times Now-ETG, 392 per India V-CNX. <table class="redcator-table-advance" style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6em; box-shadow: none; width: 955.049px; font-family: Merriweather; padding-bottom: 10px !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;"> </td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">NDA</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">INDIA</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Others</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Times Now - ETG </td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">358</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">152</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">33</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Matrize - Republic</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">361</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">126</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">56</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Jan Ki Baat - NDTV </td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">377</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">151</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">15</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">PMARQ - Republic</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">359</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">154</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">30</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">India News - D-Dynamics</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">371</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">125</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">47</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Today's Chanakya - News24</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">400</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">107</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">36</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">India TV</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">386</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">124</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">33</td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">Poll of polls</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">369</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">143</td><td style="padding: 5px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); font-size: 16px; vertical-align: top;">31</td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> However, the Modi-led alliance has yet to cross the 300 mark. If this trend holds, a majority government will form with BJP-led NDA acquiring slightly below 300 seats, almost mirroring exact forecasts by on-ground reporters and some political experts. However, this is quite in contrast with almost all exit polls this election season. If the scorecard settles at the current mark, this will end up becoming the poorest performance for NDA since their historic win in 2014. The alliance came to power after winning an overwhelming 336 seats in 2014, and 353 seats in 2019. However, the main point of shock has come from the performance of Congress and the INDIA bloc, who have maintained a steadfast 200+ seats since the initial polling rounds. Out of the nine odd exit polls that came out with results recently, none had predicted the INDIA bloc to win over 150-170 seats. As the tallying moves into its final phases, let’s look at how exit polls performed in the previous election cycles. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="2014 elections" comment="subhead" text="2014 elections">2014 elections</cmsannotation> In 2014, 834 million voters participated in the largest-ever elections worldwide — only to be surpassed by the 2019 <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections. An average of eight exit polls had indicated that the BJP would see a 283-seat victory, while the opposition would have had to settle for 105 seats. Just as predicted, the BJP saw a landslide victory and swooped in 282 of the 543 seats, with a vote percentage of 31.3%. This win was a huge blow to the INC, which only won 44 seats compared to the 206 in 2009. Since a party must win at least 55 seats to become an official opposition party in India, the Congress’s defeat meant that there was no official opposition party for India. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="2019 elections" comment="subhead" text="2019 elections">2019 elections</cmsannotation> The previous Lok Sabha elections turned out to be an even bigger win for the BJP! In 2019, exit polls had predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would peak at 306 and that the INC-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) would win just 120. However, the post-poll statistics turned out to be underwhelming. The BJP won a whopping 37.36% of the vote — the highest by a political party since the 1989 general elections. It won 303 seats, while the NDA collectively won 352 seats. It was another crushing defeat for the Congress, which won just 52 seats, failing to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition once again.

Trends indicate INDIA maintaining 200+ seats, defying all exit poll predictions; how accurate have these surveys been since 2014?

New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): With counting progressing in <keyword id="19912155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-polls" source="keywords">Lok Sabha polls</keyword>, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led <keyword id="20344628" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Democratic Alliance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Democratic Alliance">National Democratic Alliance</keyword> is leading on more than 100 seats as per the latest trends according to TV channels. Around 642 million people voted in Lok Sabha elections held over seven phases in a mammoth six-week period. The counting of votes began starting with postal ballot papers amid tight security. The counting for State Legislative Assemblies of 175 Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 147 Assembly constituencies in Odisha and results of bypolls in 25 Assembly constituencies also began. The Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats of the lower house were held across seven phases. The <keyword id="19931558" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharatiya Janata Party" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bharatiya Janata Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> is eyeing a third straight term in power, while the Opposition under the umbrella of the <keyword id="19895684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="INDIA-bloc" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="INDIA bloc" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="INDIA bloc">INDIA bloc</keyword> is seeking to wrest power from the ruling party.Most exit polls predicted a straight term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with quite few of them projecting a two-thirds majority for the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (<keyword id="41281" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDA" source="Orion">NDA</keyword>). The Congress party and its allies dismissed the exit polls as "orchestrated" and a work of "fantasy", asserting that the opposition INDIA bloc will form the next government at the Centre. Strict security has been put in place for the smooth conduct of counting of votes for over 8,000 candidates in this general election. With counting began for the Lok Sabha elections, which have seen the largest voter participation, the electoral fate of several leaders across the political spectrum will be decided. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are among the senior BJP leaders in the fray. Key opposition leaders, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP's Supriya Sule, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, are also contesting the poll. Two polls predicted the BJP would also improve its numbers from the 303 seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the 2019 elections, NDA wrested 353 seats, of which the BJP won 303 alone. The Opposition's UPA got only 93 seats of which the Congress got 52. Even before the counting of the votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party won one seat of Surat Lok Sabha. Earlier on April 22, Mukesh Dalal won the election "unopposed". Congress nominee Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination was rejected. His candidacy was rejected because of alleged discrepancies in the signatures of the proposers.

Lok Sabha election results: BJP-led NDA leading in 100 plus seats in early trends

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Wall Street Journal reported that Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin have shared secret calls since 2022.</li><li>Several Washington officials are now seeking a probe into the report.</li></ul>NASA Administrator <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-chief-says-secretive-china-hides-military-space-projects-2024-4">Bill Nelson</a> and a growing number of Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation into The Wall Street Journal's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/musk-putin-secret-conversations-37e1c187">report</a> that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Several Washington officials began pushing for a probe less than a day after The Journal — citing several current and former US, European, and Russian officials — reported that Musk and Putin have had regular calls since 2022 in which they have discussed "personal topics, business, and geopolitical tensions."Musk has not responded to requests for comment from Business Insider. In a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1849956344691912873">statement</a> on X, which Musk reposted, the official SpaceX account described The Journal's report as an "incredibly misleading story" based on "completely unsubstantiated claims from unnamed sources."On Friday, Nelson told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/10/25/2024/nasas-bill-nelson-calls-for-investigation-into-report-of-musk-putin-calls">Semafor</a> that calls between Musk, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">richest man in the world</a>, and Putin "would be concerning" if true, particularly for NASA and the Department of Defense. Nelson added The Journal's report should be investigated but did not specify by which agency.The same day, Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/25/musk-putin-conversations-investigated-00185543">Politico</a> that the Defense Department should investigate Musk to ensure his alleged actions aren't "to the detriment" of the country's national security.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeanne-shaheen-defeats-republican-corky-messner-new-hampshire-senate-2020-11">Sen. Jeanne Shaheen</a>, a New Hampshire Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee, echoed similar calls in a Friday <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/SenatorShaheen/status/1849879192583696542">post on X</a>.Representatives for NASA, Rep. Smith and Sen. Shaheen did not respond to requests for further comment from BI.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected The Journal's reporting, telling the outlet that Putin has had only one phone conversation with Musk, during which they discussed space and future technologies.In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for the Department of Defense said the DoD is aware of The Journal's reporting but "cannot corroborate the veracity of those reports" and referred BI to Musk "to speak to his private communications."<h2 id="8e5312b0-06dc-4fab-bd92-93c00c584a1d">Why Musk's international ties matter</h2>The billionaire's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-military-contracts-dod-space-force-2020-10">SpaceX has become a key player</a> in federal space exploration. In 2021, it won a $1.8 billion classified contract to build a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-contract-network-spy-satellites-us-intelligence-report-2024-3">network of satellites</a> in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the agency that manages spy satellites. The astronautics company has also provided rockets and other equipment to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-won-two-pentagon-contracts-launch-military-rockets-2021-3">Pentagon</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-boeing-nasa-commercial-crew-program-launch-astronauts-2020-1">NASA</a>.Because of his work with the federal government via SpaceX, Musk holds a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-ketamine-use-security-clearance-2023-7">security clearance</a> that gives him access to some classified information.Having ties to a foreign country is not inherently a disqualifying factor for a security clearance, Steven Stransky, a former advisor to both the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council, told BI.Musk's ties to foreign governments and leaders would have been considered before he was granted such a clearance."The security clearance adjudication process looks at several factors, and undue foreign influence is just one of those factors," Stransky, now a partner at Thompson Hine law firm, said.Stansky said while the level of influence other people have over the billionaire is unclear, Musk's personal relationships may be of interest to the government given his security clearance and professional proximity to state secrets.A security clearance would generally be denied to anyone with a "chummy relationship" with Putin, said Robert English, a former DoD policy analyst who held a top security clearance and the current director of Central European studies at the University of Southern California.The Journal reported, citing two people familiar with the topic, that during one of their conversations, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-elon-musk-starlink-taiwan-china-favor-xi-jinping-report-2024-10">Putin asked Musk</a> to refrain from activating his Starlink satellite internet service over Taiwan, making the request on behalf of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-china-trade-moscow-beijing-imports-bank-transactions-payments-2024-10">China's leader,</a> Xi Jinping."Even if Musk did not cede to that request, that's too much power in this one individual's hands," English said.The existence of an ongoing Musk-Putin relationship would be further complicated by the billionaire tech leader's recent foray into US politics.Both Trump and Musk have said that the billionaire is a likely candidate for a seat in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">former president's would-be </a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">cabinet.</a> In a September speech, Trump said that if he's re-elected, he plans to create a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-adopts-elon-musk-plan-cut-government-spending-efficiency-reform-2024-9">government efficiency commission</a> to be overseen by Musk, which the Tesla CEO has said he "can't wait" to run."If Musk is not fully loyal to the US or has trafficked with our adversaries," English said, "that's important to know now."

NASA chief and Democratic lawmakers urge investigation into reports of Musk-Putin conversations 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Democrats hope blue states can be the party's redoubt against Trump's second term.</li><li>Democrats will be in the minority in both houses of Congress in January 2025.</li></ul>With Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential election loss, President Joe Biden leaving the White House in January, and Democrats looking ahead to life in a Senate chamber that they'll no longer control, the new year will bring a new reality: the party's power in Washington, DC will be diminished.A newly empowered Donald Trump, meanwhile, is aiming to reshape the federal government to a degree that he failed to achieve in his first term. He's assembling <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-white-house-staff-cabinet-picks-list-2024-11">an array of loyalists</a> to help further his goals on everything from immigration to foreign policy.Early in Trump's first presidency, protests against his administration were common in Washington and other cities. And as Trump's first term progressed, Democrats remained laser-focused on opposing him. The party harnessed that energy to retake the House in 2018, win back the presidency in 2020, and flip the Senate in 2021.But this time, the Democratic Party appears to be coalescing around a revised strategy.Democratic officials and activists are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/16/us/politics/democrats-anti-trump-battle-plan.html">hoping blue states</a> can be the center of opposition to the president-elect, The New York Times reported. From abortion rights to paid leave, the party sees its Democratic strongholds as bulwarks against Trump, especially with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-supreme-court-conservatives-election-2024-11">the US Supreme Court</a> dominated by conservative jurists.Democrats are also building up a legal operation to challenge the new administration, according to the Times. The newspaper reported that advocacy groups are rallying hundreds of attorneys to fight Trump's agenda from the start of the president-elect's second term.Skye Perryman, the CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonprofit organization created after Trump's win in 2016, told the Times that challenges to the president-elect will be different in his second term."Resistance this time is a lot more about collective power building," she said. "It's using the law and using litigation."Democrats are also already looking ahead to the 2028 election.While Democrats are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-blue-wall-democrats-suburban-voters-unions-2024-11">still smarting over Harris' loss</a> — and trying to assess how their party can reverse electoral gains that Trump made with working-class voters — many of the party's crop of governors have emerged as potential 2028 contenders.Democrats occupy 23 of the nation's 50 governorships, which will remain unchanged at the beginning of the year. Some of them — like Govs. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gavin-newsom-california-gubernatorial-recall-election-landslide-win-2021-9">Gavin Newsom</a> of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan — have long been considered White House aspirants.For Democrats, the focus on states will give many of these leaders a platform as Trump aims to enact a conservative agenda in a nation that remains politically divided. Harris easily won California and Illinois in the general election, but she lost Michigan — a state that for years had been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-blue-wall-economic-message-unions-michigan-pennsylvania-wisconsin-2024-10">part of the party's vaunted blue wall</a> — by about 1.4 points.After the election, Newsom called a special session, which will begin on December 2 in Sacramento, to boost the state's legal resources to challenge the incoming administration on issues like abortion, civil rights, climate regulations, and immigration.Pritzker <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2024/11/07/pritzker-donald-trump-second-term-defend-illinois-remarks">pledged to work</a> with the Trump administration but also called himself a "warrior" for his state."To anyone who intends to come take away the freedom, opportunity, and dignity of Illinoisans, I would remind you that a happy warrior is still a warrior," the governor, now in his second term, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/GovPritzker/status/1854686495975551159">wrote on X</a>. "You come for my people — you come through me."Meanwhile, Whitmer reiterated that she worked with Trump during her first term and would find a way to do so again."We'll figure out how to work with a Trump administration into this last two years of my term," she told reporters after the election.

Democrats are hoping blue states can hold the line in their battle against Trump's second-term agenda

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Obama endorsed Kamala Harris' housing plan during his DNC speech.</li><li>Harris' proposal aims to address housing affordability in part by building millions of new homes.</li></ul>In making his case for Vice President Kamala Harris to be America's next president, former President Barack Obama singled out a few of Harris' policy proposals and focused on one near and dear to anyone worried about the country's housing affordability crisis.Obama hailed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-unveils-housing-proposals-yimby-economic-agenda-experts-2024-8">Harris' pledge to build millions of new homes</a>, calling it a "bold new plan" and highlighting her promise to strip away regulations restricting development."We can't just rely on the ideas of the past, we need to chart a new way forward to meet the challenges of today — and Kamala understands this," Obama said. "She knows, for example, that if we want to make it easier for young people to buy a home, we need to build more units and clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that made it harder to build homes for working people in this country."Obama's comments quickly reverberated among online <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yimbys-winning-lower-house-prices-rents-build-more-homes-neighborhoods-2023-9">YIMBYs</a> — adherents of the pro-housing "Yes In My Backyard" movement."DEMOCRATS ARE NOT GOING BACK TO NIMBY POLICIES," Sam Deutsch, who writes the pro-housing newsletter "Better Cities," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/sam_d_1995/status/1826097617161322744">wrote on X</a>.California State Sen. Scott Wiener, a prominent leader in pro-housing policy, celebrated Obama's remarks as a sign of YIMBYism becoming mainstream among Democrats."First Kamala, now Obama. We're winning the argument on housing: That we will solve the housing crisis only when we build an enormous number of new homes," Wiener wrote in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Scott_Wiener/status/1826121223362982168">a post on X</a>. "YIMBYism — more homes, more public transportation, more clean energy, more of all the good stuff — is absolutely the future."Open New York, a group that advocates for more housing in New York State, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/OpenNYForAll/status/1826103244289957926">declared</a>, "the housing debate in the Democratic Party is over.""Obama said build, baby, build!" Bryan "Bubba" Fish, a pro-housing candidate for city council in Culver City, California, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/bubbaforcc/status/1826125541503897968">wrote on X</a>. Obama and Harris' focus on housing policy is unusual in national politics in part because the federal government doesn't have much direct control over it. Most of the policies that shape housing — including land-use laws like zoning — are controlled by local and state governments.And Democrats aren't uniformly in favor of this approach to building. Many NIMBYs — or anti-development "Not In My Backyard" proponents — cite <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/housing-shortage-minneapolis-environmentalism/677165/">progressive causes</a>, including environmental protection, in opposing new construction.Last week, Harris rolled out a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-economy-proposal-25k-first-time-homebuyers-down-payent-2024-8">multi-part housing plan</a> that includes plans to build three million homes over her first term, crack down on corporate landlords, and expand downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers. While pro-housing policies — particularly those designed to boost the supply of housing by eliminating regulations — have some bipartisan support in Congress, Harris' full suite of proposals would likely have a hard time passing a divided Congress.Harris' decision to release the housing plan illustrates just how important the issue is to many voters. Indeed, polls have found that Americans are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/505901/views-housing-market-reach-new-depths.aspx">extremely pessimistic</a> about the housing market. And the concern is bipartisan. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/opinions-on-housing-affordability-poll/">A recent survey found</a> 83% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans think the lack of affordable housing is a significant problem.

Obama pushed Democrats into their YIMBY era

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The American Bankers Association is urging federal action on online financial fraud.</li><li>Banks are facing increased liability for scams, with $10 billion in losses reported last year.</li></ul>Remember the Spider-Man meme where <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-posts-spiderman-meme-first-tweet-in-a-decade-2023-7">he points at himself</a>? Banks and the federal government are in a similar situation, pointing to each other to solve the problem of online financial scams.For its part, the government wants banks to take on more responsibility, and more consistently refund their customers who fall victim to online scams. Banks, on the other hand, want the government to do more to prevent those scams in the first place.The problem is real. Almost 1 in 3 Americans have been the victim of a scam in the past year, with an average loss of $1,600 a person, according to a study from IPX, a financial analysis firm.According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported more than $10 billion in losses last year from online scams. The agency's data also showed that consumers using payment apps reported <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-bill-zelle-fraud-payment-app-waters-blumenthal-warren-2024-8">losing $210 million</a>.It's also a major headache for the banks.American Bankers Association CEO Rob Nichols called for the federal government to create a national scam prevention strategy last week. Nichols also said that Congress should "create and fund" an Office of Scam and Fraud Prevention while speaking to bankers at the association's annual convention in October."The scale of fraud taking place every day is a massive burden for our country and for the millions of hardworking women and men whose lives are affected by it," Nichols said at the convention, according to Forbes. "It will take a united effort — with support from both inside and outside the banking industry — to win this fight."The government, meanwhile, has repeatedly called on financial institutions to improve compensation for victims who lose money to scams.In August, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched an investigation into JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, all part owners of Zelle.The investigation came after a Senate investigations committee found that reimbursements from the three banks for disputed transactions on the app fell from 62% in 2019 to 38% in 2023.Also in August, three Democratic senators introduced a bill that would update the 1978 Electronic Fund Transfer Act to require financial institutions to share more of the burden when consumers are victimized by fraud.Nichols said at the convention, however, that fighting back against fraud will require "a whole-of-government approach … that starts at the very top." He also said that the government should create "financial crimes intelligence centers." One already exists in Texas, which he said has been a "force multiplier for law enforcement" there.Nichols also called on the FTC to create a database of reported spam text messages available for "all legitimate businesses to access." Nichols said this kind of database would help banks monitor how scams are evolving and "educate their customers" more effectively."

Banks and the federal government point fingers as Americans lose billions to online scams

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Officials are urging people to stop spreading misinformation amid Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.</li><li>Both Republicans and Democrats have called out misinformation and false rumors.</li></ul>As rescue workers respond to the destruction in North Carolina after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-north-carolina-flood-insurance-2024-10">Hurricane Helene</a>, government officials on both sides of the aisle are calling for a misinformation cease-fire.Since the hurricane made <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-slams-florida-power-outages-flooding-2024-9">landfall in Florida</a> and swept up <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/analysts-estimate-up-to-34-billion-damage-from-hurricane-helene-2024-10">to the Carolinas</a>, the storm itself has been swept up in another powerful force: American politics in a presidential election year.Some social media users are sharing unsubstantiated claims, some accompanied by fake AI-generated photos, criticizing the response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government's disaster relief group, and, by extension, the administration of President Joe Biden."It's not necessarily unusual for emergency situations to be breeding grounds for mis- and disinformation, but I do think we've seen a particularly large amount of false claims proliferating at this time," Mekela Panditharatne, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit policy institute at New York University's School of Law, told Business Insider. "I don't think it's a coincidence that it's so close to a very consequential national election."<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, the billionaire owner of X and a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-donald-trump-rally-butler-pennsylvania-assassination-attempt-2024-10">vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump</a>, has posted on his social media network saying that "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1842284913279586447">FEMA is both failing to help AND won't let others help</a>" and has reposted similar claims from others.Musk shared another claim that Asheville, North Carolina's airspace had been closed to block recovery efforts, prompting a fact-check from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who said the Federal Aviation Administration was not shutting down the airspace. Buttigieg <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/SecretaryPete/status/1842271678274928964">told</a> Musk to call him with any issues, and after they <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.msnbc.com/inside-with-jen-psaki/watch/-he-called-buttigieg-reveals-details-of-conversation-with-elon-musk-about-storm-response-221029445906">spoke on the phone</a>, Musk posted that flights were underway and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1842350122899739050">thanked</a> Buttigieg.Trump has seized on the disaster to criticize the Biden administration and, by extension, his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, saying the Biden administration "stole the FEMA money" and "spent it all on illegal migrants," the Washington Post reported.His comments came after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said FEMA would need more money from Congress to get it through the rest of hurricane season.A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/04/no-biden-didnt-take-fema-relief-money-use-migrants-trump-did/">Washington Post</a> investigation found no evidence that the Biden administration used disaster relief funds on the migrant crisis. However, amid hurricane season in 2019, Trump himself approved using $155 million in disaster relief funds for immigration detention at the border, the Post reported.<h2 id="27fd660a-73db-4a3c-9a26-23e6b84ae71d">Bipartisan calls to stop spreading 'junk' information</h2>Following the spike in false rumors, FEMA created a searchable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.fema.gov/disaster/current/hurricane-helene/rumor-response">fact-checking page</a> to tackle misinformation about the relief efforts. In North Carolina, the Department of Public Safety also shared a fact-check on social media, which Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has reposted.Republicans have also joined the fight against the false information. Kevin Corbin, a Republican member of the North Carolina Senate, issued a plea on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.facebook.com/kevin.corbin/posts/pfbid02VZiZFjsikbNeD3AKwkkpv5nnXpmkxWr5sJRG1G51D6yN82NvywWVaA8M8XjcNdeol">Facebook</a> for people to stop spreading "conspiracy theory junk." He listed bizarre claims that he said he and other officials have heard, ranging from accusations that "FEMA is stealing money from donations" to the "government is controlling the weather from Antarctica.""It is just a distraction to people trying to do their job," Corbin wrote.<div type="image" title="A young man hands supplies down to a woman from the bed of a truck amid hurricane recovery efforts." height="3050" width="4575" msid="113997193" hostid="261" sizebytes="310870"></div>US Sen. Thom Tillis, also a Republican, echoed Corbin's comments on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/thom-tillis-senator-north-carolina-face-the-nation-transcript-10-06-2024/">CBS News</a> on Sunday. He said many of the claims are "not even from people on the ground" and complicate rescue and recovery operations."It's at the expense of the hard-working first responders and people that are just trying to recover their life," Tillis said. "Quite honestly, most of what I've seen out there is a distraction and not helping the core of the effort right here, which is to save lives and start rebuilding."Panditharatne told BI that the spread of misinformation can "dissuade people from seeking the assistance that they need in this time of crisis.""It's perfectly legitimate to express an opinion or criticize the sufficiency of a response, but a number of the claims that we are seeing, particularly from high profile actors and politicians, are baseless, and they're contradicting verifiable facts or unsubstantiated by evidence," she said. "Where that is the case, I think it can divert public information and resources and demoralize officials on the ground."In a crisis, there may be gaps in available information, creating a vacuum for misinformation to "flood in to fill the void," Panditharatne said. However, she added that's not an excuse."I think anyone like Musk, who has a significant influence over the information ecosystem, should feel a sense of responsibility to promote information that doesn't undermine people's ability to access the aid that they need or undermine officials' response to a crisis," she said.The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for X also did not immediately respond.

Both Democrats and Republicans in North Carolina say misinformation is complicating Hurricane Helene relief efforts

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Speaker Mike Johnson has pulled a government funding bill amid party dissent, risking a shutdown.</li><li>The government will shut down on October 1 if no extension is passed, affecting federal operations.</li></ul>America might be headed for another government shutdown.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-johnson-trump-rally-shooting-political-rhetoric-election-2024-7">Speaker Mike Johnson</a> on Wednesday pulled a temporary government funding bill off the House floor hours before a planned vote amid dissent within his own party."No vote today because we're in the consensus-building business here in Congress. With small majorities, that's what you do," Johnson told reporters outside the House chamber, per The Associated Press. "We're having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican conference and I believe we'll get there."Johnson's bill is tied to the SAVE Act, legislation that would require all Americans to submit proof of citizenship in order to vote and complicate the national voter registration process before a major election. The measure is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/inside-congress/2024/09/04/why-johnsons-funding-plan-could-fail-in-the-house-00177426">universally opposed</a> by Democrats and some Republicans.The government will shut down on October 1, if no funding extension is passed. While that gives Congress over two weeks to pass a bill, lawmakers are anxious to leave Washington so they can return to their campaign trails ahead of Election Day.Given their razor-thin majority, Republicans can only afford to lose four votes if every lawmaker shows up and Democrats remain united in opposition. Senate <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chuck-schumer-hakeem-jeffries-democratic-leaders-biden-drop-out-2024-7">Majority Leader Chuck Schumer</a> has blasted Johnson's spending bill and his insistence to tie it to the controversial proposal.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-lost-debate-polls-prediction-market-reaction-taylor-swift-rematch-2024-9">Former President Donald Trump</a> encouraged Republicans to reject any deal if voting security assurances are not attached to the funding bill.The spending bill would include money allocations for major federal operations, including Veterans Affairs benefits, portions of the farm bill, healthcare programs, and more.The looming shutdown comes as presidential campaigns between Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-trolled-donald-trump-about-rally-crowd-size-2024-9">kicking into high gear</a>. There have been previous shutdowns in election years, but the nation's politics were nowhere near as divided as they are now.A government closure could prevent thousands of government workers from getting their paychecks.Here's a breakdown of what happens, what's at stake, and why this time could be different.<h2 id="ac93a634-c6e1-422e-a672-32090be618e1">What happens when there's a government shutdown?</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-funding-social-security-student-loan-repayment-wic-food-benefits-2023-8">When the government shuts down</a>, federal agencies classify their employees as either "essential" or "nonessential." All "nonessential" employees will be furloughed until the government reopens, meaning they will not be able to work or be paid.The government employee umbrella includes millions of people from various organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security and National Parks. Not only would widespread staff shortages be disruptive for consumers, but many of those employees might <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-line-leaves-behind-low-income-americans-snap-medicare-wic-2024-6">struggle to make ends meet</a> without an income.Americans could notice disruptions. Airports could be short-staffed because <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-us-airports-lines-tsa-workers-pay-wages-2019-1">TSA agents</a> would lose pay, natural disaster and emergency response programs could be delayed, and some social safety net programs like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buying-groceries-snap-food-stamps-cant-afford-essentials-credit-card-2024-6">SNAP</a> could be limited. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/student-loan-forgiveness">Student loan forgiveness</a> and financial aid programs could also be paused, along with all federal small business loan servicing.Government shutdowns have previously lasted anywhere between three hours and five weeks, but the length depends on Congressional action. The only way to reopen the government is for lawmakers to pass a spending bill.<h2 id="37b589fe-4e6f-4ccc-971a-ff37493030ac">Has this happened before?</h2>Congress <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-2023-update-likelihood-when-will-it-start-2023-9">narrowly avoided a shutdown </a>last year, after Republicans couldn't agree on a temporary funding resolution. Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-speaker-house-first-time-history-matt-gaetz-2023-10">was later ousted</a> from his role over his handling of negotiations with President Joe Biden.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-record-day-trump-democrats-fight-over-border-wall-2019-1">longest government shutdown in US history</a> occurred between December 2018 and January 2019. The shutdown lasted 35 days, causing 800,000 federal employees to go without pay and costing the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2023/9/the-economic-costs-of-a-republican-shutdown">billions of dollars</a>.Trump is advocating for a shutdown, calling on fellow Republicans to only accept a spending bill if it includes promises of election security."If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don't get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET," Trump posted on his social network, Truth Social.<h2 id="993cc001-ac06-4539-9ae3-5cca92bca252">How could this impact the election?</h2>Neither side sees the benefit of a government shutdown. The pay for millions of government employees would be at stake. In fact, if a shutdown dragged on, active-duty servicemembers could miss their pay. Polling shows that Republicans often bear the blame for shutdowns by insisting on policies being implemented before agreeing to funding measures. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/23/gop-is-very-familiar-shutdown-position-losing-it-badly/">Americans blamed Republicans</a> by 23 points more than then-President Bill Clinton for a 21-day shutdown in 1995, according to The Washington Post. Clinton went on to win the 1996 presidential election in a landslide 379 to 159 electoral college victory.Trump exacerbated the blame Republicans typically receive when he surprisingly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-schumer-trump-length-months-years-2019-1">claimed credit</a> for a 2018 shutdown.Still, a shutdown hasn't occurred this close to a major election in decades — and it could shape campaign optics ahead of November.

America might be headed for a government shutdown (again)

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The marquee Senate race between Colin Allred and Ted Cruz could reveal a lot about Texas' identity.</li><li>The Lone Star State has been a GOP bastion for decades, but voting shifts are changing that dynamic.</li></ul>For decades, Democrats have sought to reclaim their former glory in Texas, but they've repeatedly come up short.The party hasn't won a statewide race in the Lone Star State since 1994, which has largely deprived it of the sort of bench that Republicans have cultivated for years through their dominance of state government.So when Rep. Colin Allred — a three-term lawmaker who represents the Dallas-area 32nd Congressional District — entered this year's Senate contest against two-term Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, many Democrats felt that his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://colinallred.com/news/in-houston-allred-earns-endorsement-of-congresswoman-fletcher-in-race-for-u-s-senate/">bipartisan credentials</a> would bolster his run.Allred, 41, believes that he can be a change agent for Texas. And with less than a week to go before the election, he remains locked in a competitive contest with the 53-year-old Cruz.A late October <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/28/us/elections/times-siena-texas-poll-crosstabs.html">New York Times/Siena College survey</a> showed Cruz with a four-point edge over Allred (50% to 46%) among likely voters, but in the same poll, former President Donald Trump led Vice President Kamala Harris by ten points (52% to 42%). And <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/senate/2024/texas/general/">other polls</a> of the race, including ones from Marist College, Morning Consult, and the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs, all showed Cruz with single-digit leads.The competitiveness of the race led the Senate Majority PAC — the Democratic political action committee tied to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York — to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-senate-allred-cruz-ad-campaign-abortion-69b5a7db65cd82d1bbe258d874ae6c6c#">pour $5 million into the contest</a> in recent days, as the Texas race is now widely viewed as the party's best opportunity to flip a red seat this year. In total, Allred has raised more than $80 million for the Senate race, according to his campaign.But one key fact remains: Allred will have to overcome the state's Republican lean in order to oust Cruz.<h2 id="d6679d62-bcb0-468d-971d-22ac5da907f8">Reproductive rights and the economy</h2>I sat down with Allred before a recent block walk kickoff event in Houston, where the former NFL player and civil rights attorney laid out his case against Cruz's reelection bid.But something significant stuck out during our conversation.In the past, red-state Democrats often shied away from speaking out too forcefully regarding reproductive rights. However, after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court, along with the passage of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-maternal-health-desert-2024-6">Texas' strict abortion ban</a>, Allred lambasted "extremism" that he argued would seriously affect the economy.In the Times/Siena poll, likely voters in Texas ranked the economy as their top issue, with 27% of respondents expressing this opinion. (The second-and- third ranked issues were immigration and abortion, with 15% support for each issue.)"The individual stories of people denied miscarriage care or denied care when pregnancies weren't viable and having to leave the state are horrific," Allred told me after he spoke at a reproductive rights-focused rally headlined by Harris, which also featured <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-beyonce-abortion-reproductive-rights-trump-allred-2024-10">an appearance by Beyoncé</a>. "I know many of these women that have come forward. It's personal. It's also impacting every other aspect of Texas life, from our medical schools to our universities to our business climate."<h2 id="d605ce1a-811a-4765-b109-fcf121e7d70a">The electoral map</h2>In 2018, then-Rep. Beto O'Rourke traversed Texas during his Senate campaign and in the process visited all of the state's 254 counties.While Cruz eventually won, he bested O'Rourke by only <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-senate-race-results-ted-cruz-defeats-beto-orourke-2018-11">2.6 percentage points</a>, or by roughly 215,000 votes out of more than 8.3 million ballots cast.<div type="image" title="Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas speaks at a campaign rally." height="4579" width="6868" msid="114747150" hostid="261" sizebytes="825128"></div>O'Rourke's campaign that year worked to energize Democratic voters — with a focus on young and progressive voters — and his town hall events became a signature part of his campaign.Allred's campaign approach is a bit different than the one pursued by O'Rourke, who represented the El Paso area in Congress from 2013 until 2019. He's seeking to maximize Democratic turnout as well, but he's conducted serious outreach to independents and Republicans to be a part of his moderate-minded campaign."I have a record of being the most bipartisan Texan in Congress," he told me during our conversation.It's the sort of ethos that Allred takes with him on the campaign trail across Texas, a behemoth of a state that contains huge cities and scores of medium-sized and smaller cities and towns in between. It can take around thirteen hours to drive across Texas from the east to the west."This is a massive state, and what happens in one part of the state is not always known in the other part of the state," Allred told me, adding of his experience: "I don't come across any Texans who are looking for a handout, but I come across Texans who are looking for somebody who's going to be on their side."Democrats in Texas already perform strongly in cities like Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. But in the Trump era, Democrats have also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-haley-suburbs-gop-problem-north-carolina-virginia-2024-3">increasingly won over more suburban voters</a>, a phenomenon that has helped the party immensely in other Sun Belt states like Arizona and Georgia. And if Allred is to defeat Cruz, he'll have to put up extremely strong numbers with suburban voters across the board.Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University, told me in a interview that Cruz is in a tougher spot compared to other Texas Republicans because he lacks substantial "crossover" support. Republicans for decades have flexed their political muscle in the state based on their strong support from the party faithful and conservative-leaning independents.But Cruz, a onetime GOP presidential candidate, has cut a polarizing profile both in Texas and on the national stage."He doesn't have much appeal to the sort of soft Republicans, independents, and moderate-to-conservative Democrats in the same way that Gov. Greg Abbott or Sen. John Cornyn do," Jones said. "And it's not a large amount, but he starts off at a disadvantage in that he needs to pretty much win all of the Republican vote and make sure that Republicans turn out."<h2 id="cb1e4296-476c-4197-8a8c-71b3d735e2a4">Cruz 'too small' for Texas</h2>On the campaign trail, Allred has targeted Cruz's infamous 2021 trip to Cancún, Mexico, which occurred while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ted-cruz-cancun-trip-houston-police-security-detail-winter-storm-2021-2">many Texans were without power</a> due to a severe winter storm.During our conversation, Allred depicted Cruz as someone who doesn't have a broader vision for one of the fastest-growing states in the country, which now boasts over 30 million residents.Business Insider has reached out to the Cruz campaign for comment."Texas is incredibly diverse and dynamic, but we have been governed by extremists who I think have put at risk all of the positives about our state," Allred told me. "Ted Cruz, in particular, is someone who I think is just too small for Texas. His vision is too small for us. And to me, it's kind of the opposite of the Texas that I know."Allred, who would be the first Black senator from Texas should he defeat Cruz, also spoke about the difficulties of change in a state where Republicans have long held a firm grip on power."When you have a one-party rule state for so long, you can get an impression that there's no changing it," Allred told me. "There's always a sense that we should have change. But can we break through?"

Colin Allred is in a tight race with Ted Cruz. Here's how he's planning to become Texas' first Democratic senator in decades.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kamala Harris criticized Donald Trump on abortion during the presidential debate Tuesday.</li><li>She looked directly at Trump during an impassioned response about the consequences of abortion bans.</li></ul>Vice President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris ">Kamala Harris</a> hammered former President Donald Trump on abortion during the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-donald-trump-presidential-debate-takeaways-2024-9">presidential debate on Tuesday</a>, invoking real-world consequences of abortion bans.Trump noted his success in appointing Supreme Court justices that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade, arguing that "everyone" wanted it and that the issue should be left up to the states. (In the summer of 2022, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/07/06/majority-of-public-disapproves-of-supreme-courts-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/">Pew Research survey</a> found that 57% of adults disapproved of the SCOTUS decision.)Harris responded by saying more than 20 states have since passed "Trump abortion bans," including some that do not have exceptions for rape or incest, calling the bans "immoral."During the exchange, the vice president looked directly at Trump with a powerful response that included specific examples of how state-level abortion bans have impacted reproductive rights."You want to talk about this is what people wanted? Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/pregnancy-emergency-care-abortion-supreme-court-roe-9ce6c87c8fc653c840654de1ae5f7a1c">suffering from a miscarriage being denied care</a> in an emergency room because the healthcare providers are afraid they might go to jail, and she's bleeding out in a car in a parking lot? She didn't want that. Her husband didn't want that," Harris said.Harris said that as president, she would sign legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law. Trump, for his part, declined to say whether he would sign a national abortion ban."I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one's own body, should not be made by the government," Harris added.Her impassioned response is likely to resonate with many Americans, as 63% believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/">Pew Research Center</a> polling.Abortion is also a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/abortion-rights-decisive-issue-democrats-politics-desk-rcna147615">winning issue for Democrats </a>and has been important for turnout in states where abortion referendums have been on the ballot. President Joe Biden, notably, botched his answer on abortion during his debate with Trump before he dropped out of the race.Trump, in 2016, turned out evangelical voters by running on an anti-abortion platform, and his selections of Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court only solidified his already strong standing among conservatives — especially after they voted to overturn Roe in 2022.But Trump in 2020 faltered among swaths of suburban voters, notably those in many onetime GOP strongholds in states like Arizona and Georgia. While most Republicans that year stuck with Trump, independents and a small bloc of more moderate Republicans helped Biden find success in the Sun Belt.Harris has been a powerful voice in advocating for reproductive rights, and it's an issue that, in poll after poll, is the one that voters trust her most on — a dynamic that could cause electoral hiccups for Trump in November.

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