If the election results were based on how many people attend a candidate's events, Kamala Harris would be the Democratic frontrunner.
Gravy Analytics, a location-based marketing technology company, analyzed the smartphone data of people who attended the 111 solo Democratic presidential candidate events held in June and July. (Gravy disqualified other official party events as well as rallies held for multiple candidates.)
The company analyzed data it received from 100,000 apps it partners with. Users opt in to the tracking via permissions given to the app and the company says it accounts for users who may be logged in to several of the apps at once. The results, which are anonymized and grouped for statistical purposes, were shared first with Cheddar.
"Whether it's a Democratic presidential candidate, whether it's a movie, or whether it's a new wine launching in Sonoma, we just believe a true interest level is gauged by people's time and commitment to attend things like events rather than interest online," said Gravy Analytics CEO Jeff White.
"It shows much more interest if someone goes to Joe Biden's speaking event versus reading an article online about him," he added.
Presidential campaign rallies have been an unofficial bellwether for popularity. President Barack Obama's events cemented his strong support among youth, while President Donald Trump's attendance showed his passionate following better than most polls predicted.
In terms of total attendance, Gravy Analytics found most people went to Harris' events, followed by Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Julián Castro. More than a quarter of the people who attended these events were between the ages of 18 to 34, and 56 percent were men. More than nine out of 10 people only went to one event.
Real estate software company RealPage has agreed to stop sharing nonpublic information between landlords as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice.
A legislative package to end the government shutdown appears on track. A handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance the bill after what's become a deepening disruption of federal programs and services. But hurdles remain. Senators are hopeful they can pass the package as soon as Monday and send it to the House. What’s in and out of the bipartisan deal has drawn criticism and leaves few senators fully satisfied. The legislation includes funding for SNAP food aid and other programs while ensuring backpay for furloughed federal workers. But it fails to fund expiring health care subsidies Democrats have been fighting for, pushing that debate off for a vote next month.
Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins to break down the SNAP funding delays and the human cost of the ongoing shutdown.
Arguments at the Supreme Court have concluded for the day as the justices consider President Donald Trump's sweeping unilateral tariffs in a trillion-dollar test of executive power.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
U.S. and Chinese officials say a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies is drawing closer. The sides have reached an initial consensus for President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to aim to finalize during their high-stakes meeting Thursday in South Korea. Any agreement would be a relief to international markets. Trump's treasury secretary says discussions with China yielded preliminary agreements to stop the precursor chemicals for fentanyl from coming into the United States. Scott Bessent also says Beijing would make “substantial” purchases of soybean and other agricultural products while putting off export controls on rare earth elements needed for advanced technologies.
The White House budget office says mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
