Shakeups in the 2024 race provide much-needed jolt in interest for news outlets
CNN
America’s eyes are finally fixated on the 2024 election.
America’s eyes are finally fixated on the 2024 election. After months of tuning out what had been a fairly predictable and uneventful race between the two party incumbents, recent earthshaking events have upended the state of politics, adding an unexpected wrinkle to the storyline and prompting audiences to turn their attention to the high stakes showdown between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. In other words: the 2024 drought appears to be over as Americans show renewed interest in a race that has suddenly been thrown into upheaval. In recent weeks, tens of millions of people, thirsty for information, have turned to news organizations for coverage of the consequential CNN presidential debate and its aftermath, the attempted assassination of Trump, and the Republican National Convention. The CNN debate averaged 51 million viewers, networks averaged about 19 million viewers after Trump was shot, and the first night of the RNC averaged 18 million viewers. On digital platforms, numbers have also traveled upward, with the major events sending spikes of traffic to news organizations. To be clear, the television ratings and interest generated by the twists and turns of the 2024 election have not been historic by any means. Viewership is relatively in line with years’ past, if not a bit lower. But the startling news cycle has, unquestionably, breathed life into what had been a sleepy race, offering jolts to the system.
Nippon Steel is expected to re-file its application for a national security review by American regulators of its $15 billion takeover bid of US Steel, sources familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday, buying Japan’s largest steelmaker an additional 90 days to close its acquisition of an American rival after political opposition emerged in an election year.
So far, the attacks that targeted Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah members through their pagers have had devastating consequences. At least nine people, including an eight-year-old girl, were killed, and at least 2,800 were wounded. Over 150 of those injured are in critical condition, according to the Lebanese health minister.