From the Polls to the Stage: Election Results, Twitter Drama, & Ken Carson Show🌐🎵

This week’s edition covers stories 
from August 8th to August 13th, 2024.
Today’s issue is 904 words, an 8-minute read.

Hey folks, Mateo here.

Well, my vacation came and went, and I am back in Minnesota once again. I spent the last week in various parts of Los Angeles and San Diego, enjoying the California weather and relishing the one week a year that I get to be a tourist. There are some things about California that you don’t truly understand until you visit, and in this instance, for me, it was the weather. It never rained once throughout my stay, in fact, I don’t think I ever saw a cloud in the sky. But unlike some other parts of the Southwest, the heat wasn’t bad at all, which made it perfect. Cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas reach 100 degrees on a regular basis, an unbearable heat for us Minnesotans, but I could stay in that Cali weather all year! Anyways, I returned in time for the Minnesota primaries, which happened Tuesday. Speaking of elections, X (Twitter) has become an absolute political warzone, more on that in a bit. Also, stay tuned for a review of the Ken Carson show, coming later this week!

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Minnesota’s Incumbents Hold Strong

Tuesday marked the last election day in Minnesota until the presidential election in November. Across the board, incumbents demonstrated their continued strength, securing their nominations without significant challenges. In one of the more notable races, Ilhan Omar had no issues defending her position in the 5th District, winning by a comfortable margin against former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels, who had mounted a strong but ultimately unsuccessful challenge. The Minnesota Republicans had an eventful night, with former NBA player Royce White narrowly winning the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. This victory sets up an intriguing general election matchup, as White, an outspoken Trump-supporting Republican with a history of spreading controversial and inaccurate information, will now face off against Minnesota favorite Amy Klobuchar. Klobuchar, a seasoned political veteran with deep ties to Minnesota, will be hard to defeat.

This primary serves as a preview of the broader national political dynamics that will likely play out in the upcoming presidential election, with deeply entrenched incumbents facing off against challengers who represent the growing divisions within both major parties. The general election will test whether Minnesota voters lean towards stability and experience, as represented by Klobuchar and other incumbents, or unexpectedly head in another direction.

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The Controversial Path of Twitter Under Musk’s Ownership

As a long-time Twitter user, I, like many others, am not happy with what ‘X’ has become since Elon Musk purchased the company and took over in October of 2022. Since its inception, Twitter mostly served its role as a text-based social platform, and gaining popularity due to its simplicity and immediacy, allowing users to give quick updates to their followers. Despite Twitter’s success, they faced the same challenges many social platforms have related to harassment, free speech, and misinformation, and Twitter continued to update their policies accordingly in an attempt to maintain a relatively safe platform for the general public. Over time, Twitter followed course and introduced new algorithms that would help prioritize and determine what content is shown in users’ feeds, which sparked plenty of debate over censorship and bias, and only heightened the previous issues.

Elon Musk’s involvement with Twitter began in April 2022, when he announced a $44 billion deal to buy the platform. The acquisition was marked by significant controversy, including Musk’s concerns about bot accounts and his temporary attempt to back out of the deal. Despite legal battles and public disagreements, the deal was finalized in October 2022, Musk soon taking control and immediately implementing changes by firing top executives and restructuring the company. The CEO of Tesla Motor’s initial changes included introducing a paid verification system through Twitter Blue, which led to widespread confusion and impersonation issues. He also reinstated several controversial figures, such as former President Donald Trump, who had been banned for violating Twitter’s terms of service. Under Musk’s ownership, Twitter [X] has faced criticism for becoming a platform that amplifies political propaganda, particularly ahead of the 2024 U.S. election. Musk himself has become very involved, pledging support to former President Trump while often bashing democratic opponents. His high activity on the app comes at a quite convenient time, as the presidential election is around the corner.

Musk’s approach has led to significant backlash, with users and advertisers leaving the platform, citing concerns over its direction. Musk’s decision to limit the visibility of content from competitors like Substack and Mastodon has fueled accusations of stifling free speech, which contrasts with his self-proclaimed stance as a “free speech absolutist.” Twitter, now rebranded as “X,” continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, with mixed reactions from users and the broader public. The platform’s role in political discourse remains a contentious issue, as it has increasingly been used as a tool for spreading political propaganda and influencing public opinion, often in the direction Musk chooses.

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Upcoming: Ken Carson Show Review

Stay tuned for a fresh concert review coming tomorrow (Friday) as I had the amazing opportunity to cover the Ken Carson show that took place at The Fillmore on August 3rd. As always, Ken Carson delivered an energetic atmosphere that is hard to find these days, as few come close to the passion that he emits through his shows. In the review, I will talk about his song selection, the physical set and props, and the overall experience as someone who has seen Ken Carson perform in several different venues. 

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Stay informed, stay connected. 

See you next week! 

–
Mateo and the NewPrensa team

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