What Happens if Biden Doesn’t Run in 2024?

As the 2024 election approaches, speculation about President Joe Biden’s potential candidacy is intensifying. At 81 years old, concerns about Biden's age and health are becoming more prominent, with recent stumbles and public mistakes fueling doubts about his ability to serve another term. If Biden decides not to run, the Democratic Party will need to quickly rally behind a new candidate, which could significantly alter the election dynamics.

Kamala Harris: The Likely Successor?

Vice President Kamala Harris would be a natural successor if Biden steps aside. However, her path is not without challenges. While she has made strides in key areas such as reproductive rights and has improved her standing among Black voters, she still faces skepticism from a broader electorate. Polls indicate mixed perceptions about her leadership and trustworthiness, particularly among independents and moderates.

The Trump Factor

Should Biden not run, and now that Trump has secured the Republican nomination, the election could become a highly unpredictable contest. Historically, incumbents or their party successors have a variable success rate. Trump's strong base and significant presence in the media continue to make him a formidable contender.

What’s Next for Democrats?

If Biden steps down, Democrats will need to ensure a unified front to maintain their chances. Harris has the opportunity to redefine her public image and build a stronger campaign narrative, especially in debates and campaign events leading up to the election.

FINAL THOUGTHS

In summary, Biden's potential withdrawal could reshape the 2024 election landscape, making it a critical juncture for both parties as they navigate this high-stakes political scenario.

Hurricane Beryl: A Devastating Impact and Its Political Repercussions

As Hurricane Beryl made its way through the Caribbean and the southern United States, it left a trail of destruction that will undoubtedly have significant economic and political implications.

Economic Impact

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane in recorded history, caused widespread damage across several regions. The hurricane's ferocity was particularly felt in Jamaica, where it brought 140 mph winds and severe flooding, leading to significant infrastructural damage and displacing thousands of residents. As Beryl moved towards Mexico and Texas, it continued to cause havoc, with strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surges expected to impact these areas significantly.

Preliminary estimates suggest that the total economic damage in the U.S. alone could reach 28 billion dollars. The destruction of homes, businesses, and infrastructure, combined with the costs of emergency response and long-term recovery efforts, will place a heavy financial burden on the affected regions.

Political Implications

The timing of Hurricane Beryl could not be more critical, as it coincides with the run-up to the November presidential elections. Natural disasters often become pivotal points in political campaigns, influencing public perception of candidates based on their response and leadership during crises.

For the incumbent administration, the handling of the hurricane's aftermath will be closely scrutinized. Effective disaster response and recovery efforts can bolster public confidence, while any perceived failures could become focal points for opposition criticism. Candidates will likely emphasize their plans for improving infrastructure resilience, disaster preparedness, and climate change mitigation as part of their campaign platforms.

Moreover, the economic strain from the hurricane's damage could influence voter priorities. Issues such as economic recovery, job creation, and financial support for affected communities will likely become central topics in the political discourse leading up to the elections.

FINAL THOUGHT

Hurricane Beryl's devastating impact extends beyond immediate physical and economic damage. It also plays a critical role in shaping the political landscape as the nation prepares for a pivotal election. The response to this disaster will be a testament to the resilience and adaptability of both the government and the American people.

For more detailed coverage on Hurricane Beryl and its ongoing effects, you can follow updates from sources like WLRN and My Clallam County.

The Joe Rogan Experience: Scariest Parts of AI Explained (2024)

Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin are the co-founders of the Center for Humane Technology and the hosts of its podcast, "Your Undivided Attention." Watch the Center's new film "The A.I. Dilemma" on YouTube.

Clip taken from JRE #2076 w/ Aza Raskin & Tristan Harris

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to systems or machines that mimic human intelligence to perform tasks and can iteratively improve themselves based on the information they collect. AI manifests in various forms, some of which are simple and narrow—like the algorithms that suggest your next video on a streaming service—and others that are complex and broad, aiming to tackle more general tasks that would require human-level understanding and reasoning.

The real-world advancement of AI brings several potential fears and concerns:

1. Job Displacement: One of the most immediate fears is that AI will automate tasks currently performed by humans, leading to significant job displacement across many industries. While AI can lead to the creation of new job categories, the transition may be challenging for many workers.

2. Privacy: As AI systems require vast amounts of data to learn and make decisions, there is a significant risk to privacy. This data can include personal information, and there's always the potential for misuse or breach of privacy.

3. Security: More sophisticated AI systems increase the risk of their use in cyber attacks. Autonomous drones or other AI-controlled equipment could also be used in military applications, raising concerns about the automation of warfare.

4. Bias and Discrimination: AI systems learn from existing data, which can include biased human decisions. This can lead to AI systems that propagate these biases, potentially leading to discriminatory practices, especially in sensitive areas like hiring or law enforcement.

5. Loss of Human Control: There's a philosophical and ethical fear that as AI systems become more advanced, humanity might lose control over them. This includes worries about superintelligent systems whose goals might not align with human values or safety.

6. Ethical Use: Determining the ethical boundaries for AI use, especially in critical areas such as surveillance, decision-making in healthcare, and the criminal justice system, remains a major challenge.

7. Social Manipulation: AI can be used to create deepfakes, bots, and other tools that can be used for misinformation, potentially influencing elections, swaying public opinion, and destabilizing societies.

Addressing these fears requires thoughtful regulation, ongoing research into AI ethics and safety, and a broad societal dialogue about how AI should be integrated into daily life. It's crucial that these systems are developed and deployed in a manner that aligns with societal values and norms to ensure they benefit humanity broadly.

5 Things to Do Before You Release Your Music

1)      Copyright Everything: This goes without saying, copyrighting your music is a MUST.  There is no reason why an artist should not copyright his or her music.  There is no excuse.  The copyright office has made the process super simple with an online submission site.  Simply register with ECO (Electronic Copyright Office) and submit your music.  There is a small fee to register your music. The most important part is reading through the instructions to make sure you are properly submitting all material.  If you don’t like to read, find an uncle that graduated from college with no less than a 2.5 grade point average and you will be fine.

2)      Lock in Your Distributor:  One great debate is what music distribution company an artist / musician should use to get their music to the masses.  Of course, do your research but I will draw a line in the sand for you if you’re an independent artist.  There are many music distribution companies like CDBaby, Songtradr, Landr, etc., BUT at the top of the list is TUNECORE and DISTROKID (I use both for various reasons).  After you have selected the distro company, add your projected SINGLE(s) and ALBUM(s) for the next sixth months to your discography. 

3)      Publishing Duh:  Register with a nationally recognized publishing company.  After registering with a publishing company, immediately register your music to ensure you are getting paid when your music is played/used.  There is an open discussion somewhere on the planet about which publishing company is the best: SESAC, ASCAP, BMI or Harry Fox Agency?  Personally, I am registered with ASCAP but I have heard great things about the opposing companies.  Bottom line, do your research.  Ask your artist friends, see what their thoughts are, and then go with your gut (hoping it’s not gas).

4)      Get Nielsen:  It’s a very interesting thing that many artist don’t know about Nielsen Sound scan.  Nielsen has a very powerful place in the music industry and I would love to explain what that is but for the sake of time, visit the website and see for yourself.  Register with Nielsen Virtual Encoding (may require sending an email to customer service to create a login) to ensure that your music has an identity when being played on the Radio and TV airways (a indolent explanation).  Upload every song in your catalog and make sure you have your UPC number and release date available for each song.

5)      Sound Exchange:  Sound Exchange is a very unique entity controlled by the government oddly enough.  They collect royalties from internet radio stations and other internet media outlets.  Year after year, Sound Exchange collects millions of dollars that go unclaimed because many artist have no clue that they need to register their music with S.E...  Take the time out of your schedule to make sure that your music is registered with S.E. to collect optimal profits for your creativity.

How To Get 10 Million Streams

Let’s get things clear. If you’re an artist or musician looking for the easy way into developing a strong fanbase and getting a ton of streams with little effort then this is NOT the read for you.

WARNING: The Bots

bot.jpg

As many artists have come to find out, there are plenty of services that offer STREAMS at a low cost using a BOT technology that automates streams from specific locations around the world. Now, in the beginning this might seem useful to inflate your numbers. Also, it may feel good to see some added coins in your account once the streams have been tallied up. The problem is, you put your hard work and music at risk because the music streaming companies are HIP to this kind of thing and your account can be disabled and your music taken down. Now, do you really want to take that chance. Probably not!

10,000,000 STREAMS: Made simple

1) Be your biggest fan: Get accounts to all the primary music platforms (APPLE, TIDAL, SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE) and STREAM YOUR OWN MUSIC 24/7… Sounds silly right but at the end of the day, you have to love what your create FIRST and show it by playing it as often as possible. You might be surprised who is listening.

2) Enlist your community: The grassroots approach will always be a winner when looking to build a fanbase and get your streams rolling. Text, Snap, Tweet & Instapost your direct artist link or music link to EVERYONE you know (except coworkers because the people at your job might get a little jealous). Your music is to be shared everyday all day to those closest to you and encourage them to share it as well.


3) Advertise on Social Media: My philosophy is $1 dollar a day for a year will build your following and create a consistent flow of streams. Its no longer about the BIG budget advertising. Instead its about consistent advertising. I find it interesting, that people I know will NOT click my advertised post until they have seen it about 3 to 5 times. Oddly enough its a known rule in advertising that people have to see things over and over and over again before their interest has peaked just enough to WANT whatever is being advertised. BE CONSISTENT.

4) Build Your Website: Yes, we are in the era of Instagram and Youtube being the primary source of many artist’s rise to fame but one thing that keeps music executives rich is they drive traffic to their own site (FYI, most music industry executives OWN or have OWNERSHIP in all the music streaming platforms). PLUS, when you have your own website you not only control the content, an artist can MERCHANDISE which creates an additional revenue stream for the artist. Okay, so lets stick to the script. Websites allow you to control your content and with SEO (search keywords), artist are able to pull in views from search engine results.

5) Content Content Content: Create as much music as possible and release it. Do as many videos as possible and release. If your serious about taking your career to the next level, never stop creating. Also, never limit yourself to one Genre. Create all kinds of music. Create music that could fill stadiums or pack elevators. Many years ago sticking to one specific genre was just the THING to do but in 2020 versatility is your friend and will get your streams to new heights.

Ultimate Playlist Service
Sale Price: $9.99 Original Price: $19.99

6) Playlists Are Your Friends: Create your own playlists with your music but also include the music of other talented artists you know. Share your playlists with those artist and encourage them to do the same. Create your own network of playlists. Become the curator of your sound or genre. Don’t let the music industry control who becomes the next big thing. Take control.

7) Wear Your Brand: As an artist, you must be a walking billboard for your music. Put your logo, artist name, website name, album artwork or something related to your brand on a T-shirt, hat, jacket, socks or whatever you can find. These days, people will google or search your name before you can utter a word.

I wish I had more to tell but that’s it. As I get hip to new and innovative ways to build the best artist journey, The Asmbly will share because leveling the playing fields is all about building a better artist community first.