On the latest episode of “The Tony Kinnett Cast,” we bask in the torrent of October surprises which might topple a presidential campaign. From Israel and Iran leaks to brand new plagiarism allegations, these toxic events might be enough to flip the electoral college in unforeseen ways. What if it doesn’t? Joy Pullmann, executive editor of The Federalist, joins us to talk about how the Biden-Harris administration is planning to crack down on any post-election violence (depending on which party wins, of course). Either way, the Nov. 5 election promises to be a doozy. Speaking of Nov. 5, join us beginning at 6p.m. ET that fateful evening for our ultimate election coverage, straight from the show’s new studio! We’ll go until we’re ready to call the race, coming back each day come Hell or high water until the results are confirmed. In the meantime, political parties and legacy media outlets are beginning to create the narratives that will shape post-election America and the celebrations or mournful excuses that come along with it. With the campaigns so uncertain and the polls trending towards Trump, even the Los Angeles Times is refraining from tossing their endorsement hat into the race. Catch the live radio show and livestream weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on The Daily Signal’s YouTube, X, or Facebook—and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode or exclusive interview! The post WATCH: The October Surprises Will Continue Until Morale Improves appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Shit went nuts. Monday morning I pondered heading to the gym and kicking back, then the phone rang. Steve Klein called about the next Vintage cross country rally on 100-year-old bikes, called the American TransAm. It’s scheduled for next September and Bikernet will be a Sponsor. It’s carefully produced and orchestrated by the crew at Competition Distributing. Hang on for reports. Then the phone rang and the Sturgis Mayor told me she resigned. This city is in disarray as staff quit, the budget is due and council members resigned. Then the hardworking mayor stepped away. The Redhead and I motored out of the winding canyon in the evening for the City meeting, when a senior member of the council resigned right in front of us. Plus, there are rumors of financial issues. That’s not all. Some of you know I attempted to interview JD Vance regarding policies currently on the voting table. Chris Callen volunteered to produce the interview for Grease and Gears TV. I picked up the phone and dialed a number in Ohio. I didn’t expect a senior member of the Vance staff to answer, but Luke did and indicated some interest. I was blown away. Shit, got crazy and Halloween was just around the corner. That’s not all… One of my grandson’s latest 5-Ball skin art creations handled in Venice, CA REPORTS FROM THE MOTORCYCLE RIDERS FOUNDATION JUST FLEW INTO THE OFFICE The Evolving MAC In 2015 Congress passed and President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.  The FAST Act was the “highway bill” that covered infrastructure spending and surface transportation related policies for a five-year period. Included in the legislation was the establishment of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC). The language used to create the MAC was brief. It simply said, “The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, shall appoint a Motorcyclist Advisory Council to coordinate with and advise the Administrator on infrastructure issues of concern to motorcyclists, including— (1) barrier design; (2) road design, construction, and maintenance practices; and (3) the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies.” During its lifespan the first version of the MAC held five committee meetings and submitted a recommendation report on March 11, 2020. To read the 2020 report click here. Because the MAC was created as part of the FAST ACT its duration was limited to the five year period the bill covered. The MAC was officially terminated in October of 2020. While the creation of the MAC was a good step forward, there were concerns regarding membership. As time passed it became apparent that the nine members of the original MAC could not completely capture the diverse set of voices in the motorcycling community. As such, efforts began to expand the MAC and include more voices creating a new and improved MAC. In both 2019 and 2021 the MRF helped advance stand-alone bills that recreated the MAC with an expanded membership. Representative Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan all led the charge on creating the MAC 2.0 version. They were joined by over two dozen bipartisan cosponsors in this effort.  While keeping the original directive, the MAC 2.0 added motorcycle and motorcyclist safety to its jurisdiction. Perhaps most importantly, the MAC 2.0 version, advocated by the MRF and lawmakers, included an expanded 13-member council with mandated qualifications and backgrounds. The new proposal directed the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) to seat the MAC with the following candidates: •   Five representatives of State or local government with expertise relating to highway engineering and safety issues •   One motorcyclist who serves as a State or local and safety or transportation design engineer; •   One representative of a national association of State transportation officials; •   One representative of a national motorcyclist association; •   One representative of a national motorcyclist foundation; •   One representative of a national motorcycle manufacturing association; •   One representative of a motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in the United States; •   One roadway safety data expert with expertise relating to crash testing and analysis; •   One member of a national safety organization that represents the traffic safety systems industry. While the stand-alone bills stalled in Congress the message they sent did not go unnoticed. When it came time to pass a new highway bill and replace the FAST Act, the language set forth in the new MAC bills was dropped into the massive federal infrastructure bill. After a year delay, in November of 2021 the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act became law.  Included in that bill was the creation of a new and improved Motorcyclist Advisory Council. However, while Congress created a new MAC, it still required the U.S. DOT to find, vet and seat the 13 members. After over 2 years of delays, in June of 2024 the new members of the MAC were announced. Included in that group was MRF Vice President Jay Jackson. Soon the MAC 2.0 will hold its first meeting and begin its assigned task of making recommendations to develop federal policies that consider motorcyclists. It’s been a long journey to this point. The evolution of the MAC is a great case study in how sustained, targeted advocacy is needed to see results in Washington, D.C. For nearly a decade the MRF and its members fought for a seat at the table. One of our own will now be on the inside working hand and hand with federal policy makers ensuring the street rider has a voice in our nation’s capital. –MRF Join the MRF and find out more at www.mrf.org The post JUST WHEN IT THOUGHT I COULD RELAX appeared first on Bikernet Blog - Online Biker Magazine.

According to NBC News, the Harris campaign expects potential losses in multiple battleground states as the 2024 election approaches.  The Democratic nominee’s team has expressed doubt she can hold all three states of the “blue wall” – Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. In particular, the campaign is concerned Wisconsin or Michigan will go to Trump. “There has been a thought that maybe Michigan or Wisconsin will fall off,” a senior Harris campaign official said, according to NBC News. The outlet noted Michigan is a bigger concern. Another sign that the @KamalaHarris campaign is convinced she's going to lose. Senior campaign official tells NBC they expect to lose Michigan or Wisconsin. Forget the spin about alternative paths to victory, if that happens, she's going to lose. pic.twitter.com/0s2gARx2gw — Victor Joecks (@VictorJoecks) October 22, 2024 Per NBC News: In Michigan, a large Arab and Muslim population has railed against the Biden administration’s handling of the Israeli-Gaza war, and elected Democrats there for months have issued warning signs about the presidential race. Late last month, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a candidate for the Senate, warned that Harris was underwater in the state. Still, recent Democratic electoral success and some preliminary early voting in Michigan offer Harris hope of pulling it off. Two years ago, the party flipped the Legislature to give Democrats a trifecta for the first time in 40 years. In April, Democrats again won special elections to secure the chamber majority. Strong organization in the state on top of positive numbers with women has kept it close. In Wisconsin, where Biden won by just over 20,000 votes in 2020, there is concern among Democrats about white male voters and rural counties that have traditionally come out big for Trump. However, the liberal bastion of Dane County has ultimately come through for Democrats, and the so-called WOW counties, the voter-rich trio of counties outside Milwaukee, traditionally includes a high proportion of female voters whom Harris’ team sees as supportive. And organizers, including union members supportive of Harris, have crisscrossed the state, including in rural counties, canvassing in a way that dwarfs Trump’s organization. The Harris campaign feels less confident about winning North Carolina, which one official said seems to be “slipping away.” New: Kamala Harris campaign is bracing for potential losses in Michigan and North Carolina. Via: NBC pic.twitter.com/mlhQ3WE5XA — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 22, 2024 Kamala’s campaign is panicking per NBC News. The “blue wall” is cracking and North Carolina looks bad too. https://t.co/780LnFkgc7 — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 22, 2024 Cont. from NBC News: While North Carolina is still in the campaign’s sights and Democrats maintain strong organization and leadership there, the Harris team is far less bullish about victory, four people with knowledge of the dynamics said. “Of all of the seven [states], that one seems to be a little bit slipping away,” the Harris campaign official said of North Carolina. Hurricane Helene’s destruction — and the rampant disinformation that followed it — are factors that could weigh against Harris in North Carolina, these people said. One of the sources also pointed to a less competitive race for governor as a potential factor. A series of scandals upended Republican candidate Mark Robinson’s campaign, putting him far behind Democrat Josh Stein in polling; those developments have meant less local investment and intensity on the ground, that person said. Polling after Hurricane Helene shows Harris falling behind Trump in North Carolina. WP/Shar School poll – % of likely voters who will definitely or probably support… Georgia – Harris 51-47%Wisconsin – Harris 50-47%Michigan – Harris 49-47%Pennsylvania – Harris 49-47%Nevada – Tie 48-48%Arizona – Trump 49-46%North Carolina – Trump… pic.twitter.com/5IHIdsnYCS — InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) October 21, 2024 In related news, the latest Decision Desk HQ projection shows Trump winning the election for the first time since Harris became the Democratic nominee. “Donald Trump has a 52% chance of winning, according to the Decision Desk HQ forecast,” Decision Desk HQ stated. Donald Trump has a 52% chance of winning, according to the Decision Desk HQ forecast. pic.twitter.com/6SZeT2IazI — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) October 21, 2024 A closer look: Republicans are also projected to win majorities in both houses of Congress. From Decision Desk HQ: Donald Trump is now a slight favorite to win the 2024 presidential race, though the outcome remains a tossup. The former Republican president has gained a lead in polling averages in Wisconsin and Michigan, adding to his existing advantages in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina. However, polling in the seven key battleground states—Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin—remains within the margin of error, meaning typical polling inaccuracies could shift the results in either direction. These states are expected to be decisive in determining which candidate reaches the crucial 270 electoral votes. Currently, neither Trump nor Harris has a clear lead in enough states to secure that number. Republicans maintain their advantage in our forecast to win majorities in both houses of Congress. Following reporting of third-quarter fundraising reports our model gives the GOP a 71% chance of a majority in the Senate and a 54% chance of retaining control of the House. In the Senate, our forecast favors the GOP to flip two Democratic seats (Montana and West Virginia) and one Democratic held seat as a Tossup (Ohio). Democrats are not favored to flip and GOP seats. Our House Forecast rates 16 seats as Tossups (with 8 slightly favoring the GOP and 8 slightly favoring Democrats. Another 12 seats are rated as Lean (7 favoring the GOP and 5 favoring Democrats).