News
Kamala Harris Campaign Paid $2.5M to Oprah’s Production Company for Town Hall
Kutgoing US Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign reportedly paid $2.5 million to Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions for hosting a celebrity-packed town hall in September, a significant increase from the initially reported $1 million.
Winfrey clarified on Instagram that she did not take any personal fees, stating the payment covered production costs such as set design, crew, equipment, and logistics. “The people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were,” she said.
Harris’ campaign, which spent an estimated $1.5 billion in 15 weeks, also broke records for the fastest fundraising in US history. However, the aggressive spending led to a $20 million debt for the Democratic Party.
Expenses included celebrity endorsements, grassroots campaigning, extensive advertising, $2.6 million in private jet travel, and even $9,000 on high-end ice cream.
Despite the efforts, President-elect Donald Trump defeated Harris, securing 312 electoral votes and flipping Congress to a Republican majority.
In comparison, Trump’s campaign spent an estimated $720 million.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
“Fighting for Nigerians Is Tiring” — VeryDarkMan Recalls Burna Boy’s Words
Enzo Fernández Moves Closer to Manchester City Transfer
