Tag: Politics

Donald Trump picks ex-Broncos player for his Cabinet

Scott Turner, one of Donald Trump’s recent Cabinet picks, played his final season in the NFL with the Broncos in 2003.

President-elect Donald Trump has selected former NFL defensive back Scott Turner to join his Cabinet when Trump’s presidency term begins in 2025.

Turner (pictured with the San Diego Chargers above) has been tabbed to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He previously oversaw the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term as president.

Turner, 52, had an eight-year career in the NFL, spending time with Washington, the Chargers and the Denver Broncos. He blocked a punt against the Broncos while playing for San Diego in 2000, then grabbed a 75-yard pick-six against Denver later that season.

Turner spent his final season in the NFL playing for the Broncos in 2003. He appeared in nine games that season, totaling eight tackles. He appeared in 101 games in his career, recording 106 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks before hanging up his cleats.

Turner will need to be confirmed by the Senate before officially taking his new Cabinet position.

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Will the New York Times have the Needle for the election?

The New York Times’ popular election needle might not make an appearance for 2024.

All eyes in the United States are on the results of the 2024 election on Tuesday and many of them will likely look to the New York Times for coverage.

Famously, the New York Times has used the Needle in previous elections to show live forecasts in the form of a handy semicircle chart. On it, a needle moves back and forth between sections to showcase the confidence of how a race is going. After the 2016 election, the Needle was often cited as a source of anxiety for election watchers, but also spawned some pretty great memes.

However, for 2024, the Needle might be in jeopardy due to a strike organized by tech workers from the New York Times. The nearly 700 unionized workers in the New York Times Tech Guild have been looking to reach an agreement with the organization on a new contract with “better wages, hours, benefits and job security” among other things.

As such, the Needle may or may not make an appearance on Tuesday.

Guess we’ll have to see how things unfold!

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What time do the polls close on Election Day 2024? Here’s the state by state answer

How late does each state’s polling place stay open?

If you’ve been tuned into election coverage all day on Tuesday, you’ve probably seen those countdown clocks on the each news network letting you know when the next polls close.

And if those timers are making you nervous and you just want the full list of when the polls close in each state, you’ve come to the right place.

Per USA TODAY’s, here’s when each state’s polls will close. You can also check USA TODAY’s voter guide or visit Vote.gov and USA.gov for more information on voting and voter registration, which in some states is open through Election Day.

All times are local.

Polls Closing at 6 p.m.

  • Indiana
  • Kentucky

Polls Closing at 7 p.m.

  • Arizona
  • Illinois
  • Missouri
  • Virginia
  • Alabama
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Kansas
  • Mississippi
  • Nebraska (Mountain Time)
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee (for areas on Central Time)
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Wyoming

Polls Closing at 7:30 p.m.

  • Arkansas
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • West Virginia

Polls Closing at 8:00 p.m.

  • Connecticut
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • New Jersey
  • Alaska
  • California
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Nebraska (Central Time)
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Tennessee (Eastern Time)
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

Broncos ownership has donated the most to politics (by far) among NFL owners

Broncos ownership has donated more than $17.8 million to political candidates and causes this election cycle, by far most among NFL owners.

The Denver Broncos have the richest ownership group in the NFL by far — and perhaps the most generous.

Broncos co-owner Rob Walton, a Walmart heir, donated more than $16.5 million to political candidates and causes from Jan. 1 last year to Oct. 1 this year, according to Tom Schad of USA TODAY Sports.

The next-highest donations amount this election cycle among NFL owners was $3,328,000 donated by Atlanta Falcons owner Authur Blank.

Greg Penner, Denver’s controlling owner and CEO, donated $171,500, eighth-most among NFL owners. His wife, Broncos co-owner Carrie Walton Penner, donated $1,064,900, fifth-most among league owners.

Rob Walton and Greg Penner donated primarily to Republican causes. Carrie Walton Penner donated $1 million to a Democratic political action committee.

Here’s a look at the ten biggest political donors among NFL owners this election cycle, courtesy of USA TODAY Sports:

Owner Team Donated Main Party
1. Rob Walton Broncos $16,597,200 R
2. Arthur Blank Falcons $3,328,000 D
3. David Tepper Panthers $2,887,500 R
4. Woody Johnson Jets $1,806,300 R
5. Carrie Walton Penner Broncos $1,064,900 D
6. Edward Glazer Buccaneers $735,300 R
7. Jimmy Haslam Browns $696,637 R
8. Greg Penner Broncos $171,500 R
9. Michael Bidwill Cardinals $106,000 R
10. Stephen Ross Dolphins $99,300 R

The 2024 United States elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The Walton-Penner family purchased the Broncos for $4.65 billion in 2022. They later added three minority owners to the ownership group.

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SNL cold open featured Kamala Harris and Maya Rudolph as Kamala talking to each other

Kamala Harris had her SNL moment with the actress who plays her.

With the 2024 presidential election less than a week away, Saturday Night Live continued not to shy away from tackling the latest in the campaigns. The cold open on Saturday evening once again featured comedian Maya Rudolph as current Vice President and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, alongside Jim Gaffigan’s Tim Walz and Andy Samberg’s Doug Emhoff.

The actual Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the show, showing up to act across from Rudolph during a skit that had the pair hyping each other up. In the bit, Harris and Rudolph gave each other words of encouragement before Tuesday’s presidential election.

Check out Vice President Harris’ portion below:

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SNL cold open featured Alec Baldwin as Bret Baier spoofing the Kamala Harris Fox News interview

Baldwin made his return to SNL.

The 2024 presidential election is just over two weeks away, and Saturday Night Live is thriving with all of the political content to parody. This weekend, the show was hosted by actor Michael Keaton, and the opening skit featured a play on the recent interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and Bret Baier on Fox News.

Actor Alec Baldwin, who starred in the original Beetlejuice with Keaton in 1988, made his return to SNL to play Baier. In the skit, Baldwin’s Baier repeatedly interrupts VP Harris — played by Maya Rudolph once again — and accused her of looking for a “viral moment.”

After denying that, Rudolph’s Harris looked into the camera a couple times, imitating viral TikTok trends like using the “very demure, very mindful” phrase and the recent popular audio “in the clerb, we all fam.”

The skit continues with a portion on showing the wrong clips and a discussion on former president Trump’s recent troubles with stranded rally goers.

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SNL cold open featured Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris playing Family Feud

Andy Samberg, Jim Gaffigan and Dana Carvey return for to play alongside Rudolph.

With the 2024 presidential election right around the corner, Saturday Night Live continued to lean into the topical skits. This week, presidential nominees Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph) and Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) participated in a game of Family Feud, complete with host Steve Harvey (Kenan Thompson).

The two teams competed to answer the question “Name something that you keep in your glove compartment.” Vice President Harris won control of the board, taking the question back to her team made up of her husband, Doug Emhoff (Andy Samberg), running mate Tim Walz (Jim Gaffigan) and President Joe Biden (Dana Carvey).

Watch the whole cold open here: