Politics

GOP presidential candidate offers $20 gift cards for $1 donations

Republican presidential candidate Doug Burgum is promising to give 50,000 people a $20 gift card if they donate $1 to his campaign.

Wait, what?: The numbers don’t add up. Unless you’re a billionaire like Burgum, who will fork over nearly $1 million of his own money for a spot on the Republican debate stage in August.

• In order to qualify for the debate, candidates must have 40,000 donors contribute to their campaign, including 200 unique donors in at least 20 states.

Why it matters: Typically, lesser-known candidates have a difficult time reaching the donor threshold. However, Burgum’s deep pockets allowed him to find a workaround.

• Burgum’s team is framing the scheme as a form of altruism saying, “Doug knows people are hurting because of Bidenflation and giving Biden Economic Relief Gift Cards is a way to help 50,000 people until Doug is elected President to fix this crazy economy for everyone.”

Yes, but: The main function of the donor threshold is to weed out people who aren’t serious candidates. Although Burgum has political experience serving as North Dakota’s governor, his scheme could encourage anyone with a bankroll to pull the same move in the future.

In fact, another wealthy candidate has already reached the threshold by creating a new fundraising campaign that will give supporters a share of the total donations they raised.

Business & Economy

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +0.24%, Nasdaq +0.18%, Dow +0.62%)

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World

An independent study estimates that 50,000 Russians have died in the Ukraine War, nine times more than Russia’s official report.

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The Spanish Coast Guard rescued 86 people from a Senegalese migrant boat that had been missing for over a week. Two additional boats carrying dozens of people are still missing.

US News, Politics, & Government

Larry Nassar, the former sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing college and Olympic female gymnasts, was stabbed in prison on Sunday. Sources say he was in stable condition on Monday.

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A Tennessee soccer coach was arrested after leaving his phone in a restaurant where employees found videos of boys being sexually abused.

Sports & Entertainment

Madonna says she “is on the road to recovery” after her sudden trip to ICU to fight a bacterial Infection. She will reschedule the American stint of her Celebration Tour and begin the European leg in October.

The New York times will shut its sports department down and rely on The Athletic, the subscription based publication it purchased last year, for sports coverage.

Northwestern has fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald after reports of widespread hazing within the program.

Science, Health, & Tech

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