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Podcasts, ‘The View’ and Howard Stern: How Harris and Trump are 'microtargeting' voters

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Podcasts, ‘The View’ and Howard Stern: How Harris and Trump are 'microtargeting' voters

The viewers of “The View” talk show and the listeners of Howard Stern’s satellite radio program couldn’t be more different: older women who watch daytime television for the former versus young and middle-aged white men who have long constituted the fervent followers of the once-raunchy stylings of the latter.

Yet within the span of a couple of hours Tuesday, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris traveled between their studios in Manhattan to sit down for lengthy interviews, an odd juxtaposition of a television show initially viewed as a ladies-who-lunch klatch and a radio host who became famous because of pornographic, misogynistic and at times racist diatribes that led to millions of dollars in indecency fines from the federal government.

Historically, serious political candidates would never have appeared on either; President Obama was mocked by fellow Democrats for being the first sitting president to sit for an interview on “The View.”

But both programs, which have millions of followers, have evolved: “The View” is one of the most popular stops for presidential candidates of both parties, and Stern has transformed into a therapy-touting, inquisitive interviewer. And both represent a bipartisan strategy as candidates of both parties including former President Trump court voters through the exponentially growing network of broadcast, radio, podcast and social media venues where voters who aren’t MSNBC or Fox News junkies get their news.

Bill Burton, a national spokesperson for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign who worked on his communications team during his first term in the White House, said “the landscape has completely changed” since he started working in politics a quarter-century ago.

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“Once the most obvious ways to communicate with voters was through political reporters,” he said. “That has shifted to getting a better understanding of who voters are, where they’re getting their information and communicating with them where they’re getting their information.”

The heightened focus on nontraditional media is the latest iteration of microtargeting, efforts by campaigns to reach specific blocs of voters. One of the most effective efforts occurred during President George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign when strategists used consumer data, such as which magazines voters received or the cars they bought, to surgically target Republican voters in Democratic precincts in states such as Ohio.

“Campaigns are no longer a top-down approach to messaging. Oftentimes, it’s a very customized bottom-up approach,” said Kevin Madden, a GOP strategist who worked on Bush’s 2004 reelection bid as well as Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. “Before 2004, campaigns had 30-second ads targeted at the general population of people watching the news at 6:30 and across cable news. Now … you have this almost omnipresent approach communicating through all these channels based on what you know about their issues and what you know about peer sets.”

Recalling those efforts two decades ago, Madden said: “If you drive a truck and drink Budweiser, you’re one of our voters. If you drive a Grand Cherokee and drink Heineken, you may be a swing voters. Based on consumer habits, we know where to target you with some of our messaging, whether it’s peer-to-peer communication or through Field & Stream magazine.”

“Now, it’s morphed into a more comprehensive understanding of electorate,” said Madden, now a senior partner at a Washington-based global strategic communications group. “A couple cycles ago, it was sort of like painting by numbers. Now, it’s like pixilated digital images, and we just get more and more understanding of the electorate and mood shifts and what motivates them.”

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Trump has also appeared on nontraditional forums, such as the podcasts of the Nelk Boys and professional wrestler Logan Paul, both popular with young men. On Tuesday, the former president said on Ben Shapiro’s controversial podcast that President Biden and Harris ought to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment, which addresses the transfer of presidential power in cases of disability, resignation or removal from office or death.

Harris has also spoken to eyebrow-raising hosts, such as Alex Cooper of “Call Her Daddy,” an explicit podcast that boasts millions of listeners and is reminiscent of the early days of Stern’s radio show because of its frank sexual banter.

On Tuesday, Harris’ questioners on “The View” were friendly. The two Republicans sitting around the coffee table on set were notable Trump critics: Florida strategist Ana Navarro and former Trump White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin. Harris used the appearance to roll out a proposal to offer long-term-care assistance for seniors through Medicare as she addressed the needs of the “sandwich” generation, people who are taking care of aging parents and children.

“There are so many people in our country who are right in the middle, taking care of their kids, and they’re taking care of their aging parents. And it’s just, almost, impossible to do it all, especially if they work,” Harris said, recalling her experience caring for her mother after she was diagnosed with cancer. “We’re finding that so many are then having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress. And so what I am proposing is that basically what we will do is allow Medicare to cover in-home healthcare.”

But Republicans quickly focused on an answer about what she would have done differently than Biden during their time leading the nation — a tricky line Harris had to walk as she is loyal to the current president while also arguing she is a change candidate.

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“There is not a thing that comes to mind … and I’ve been part of most of the decisions that have had impact,” Harris said, later adding that she would include a Republican in her Cabinet.

Trump; his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance; and other Republicans seized upon the remark.

“President Trump breaks the internet on X Spaces with Elon Musk, attends UFC fights and football games to roaring crowds, and opens up on personal topics like his family’s struggle with addiction on podcasts like Theo Von,” Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement. “In contrast, Kamala Harris doubles down on the past four years of failure, from the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal to crushing inflation and record high prices for rent, groceries, and gas.

“The contrast is clear: while President Trump continues to build the largest, most diverse coalition in history, Kamala Harris wants four more years of the same weak, failed Biden-Harris agenda — and Americans will reject the tired politics of the past when they vote for President Trump in November,” Kelly said.

Shortly after her appearance on “The View,” Harris did an interview that lasted more than an hour with Stern, who initially was famous for having lascivious discussions on the airwaves, releasing “Butt Bongo Fiesta,” a $10-million-grossing home video featuring him spanking young women’s bare bottoms in time with music, and many other instances of offensive content, including using the N-word.

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Vice President Kamala Harris with SiriusXM radio host Howard Stern on Tuesday.

(SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show”)

He dabbled in politics, flirting with running for governor of New York before being required to release his income. He had a New Jersey highway rest stop named after him after endorsing successful GOP gubernatorial candidate Christine Todd Whitman.

As Stern has aged, he has evolved. Although he had a long-term relationship with Trump — they attended each other’s weddings — Stern said it disintegrated after he refused to introduce Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention because he was backing Hillary Clinton.

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His interview of Harris was fawning. Stern urged his supporters to vote for her or, if they supported Trump, to not vote all together. They both repeated familiar talking points about the perils they believe the former president poses to democracy and the world.

Although Harris hit many of the same notes as prior interviews, such as speaking about eating an entire bag of nacho cheese Doritos — “family size” — the night Trump won the 2016 presidential election, she also spoke about her love of Formula One racing and surprising her husband with tickets to see U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

“Oh my God, have you been to the Sphere?” she asked Stern. “Everyone should go in with a clear head.”

Stern responded, “Basically, don’t be high?”

“Correct,” the vice president said. “It’s a lot. There’s a lot of visual stimulation.”

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Video: Supreme Court May Allow States to Bar Transgender Athletes

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Video: Supreme Court May Allow States to Bar Transgender Athletes

new video loaded: Supreme Court May Allow States to Bar Transgender Athletes

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Supreme Court May Allow States to Bar Transgender Athletes

The Supreme Court heard two cases from West Virginia and Idaho on Tuesday. Both concerned barring the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports teams.

“It is undisputed that states may separate their sports teams based on sex in light of the real biological differences between males and females. States may equally apply that valid sex-based rule to biological males who self-identify as female. Denying a special accommodation to trans-identifying individuals does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender identity or deny equal protection.” “West Virginia argues that to protect these opportunities for cisgender girls, it has to deny them to B.P.J. But Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause protect everyone. And if the evidence shows there are no relevant physiological differences between B.P.J. and other girls, then there’s no basis to exclude her.” “Given that half the states are allowing it, allowing transgender girls and women to participate, about half are not, why would we at this point, just the role of this court, jump in and try to constitutionalize a rule for the whole country while there’s still, as you say, uncertainty and debate, while there’s still strong interest in other side?” “This court has held in cases like V.M.I. that in general, classification based on sex is impermissible because in general, men and women are simply situated. Where that’s not true is for the sorts of real, enduring, obvious differences that this court talked about in cases like V.M.I., the differences in reproductive biology. I don’t think the pseudoscience you’re suggesting has been baked.” “Well, it’s not pseudo. It’s good science.” “It’s not pseudoscience to say boys’ brain development happens at a different stage than girls does.” “Well, with all respect, I don’t think there’s any science anywhere that is suggested that these intellectual differences are traceable to biological differences.” “Can we avoid your whole similarly situated argument that you run because I don’t really like it that much either? And I’m not trying to prejudice anyone making that argument later. But I mean, I think it opens a huge can of worms that maybe we don’t need to get into here.”

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The Supreme Court heard two cases from West Virginia and Idaho on Tuesday. Both concerned barring the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports teams.

By Meg Felling

January 13, 2026

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Venezuela releases multiple American citizens from prison following military operation

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Venezuela releases multiple American citizens from prison following military operation

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The interim government in Venezuela has released at least four U.S. citizens who were imprisoned under President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, Fox News confirmed.

The release marks the first known release of Americans in the South American country since the U.S. military completed an operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing federal drug trafficking charges in New York.

“We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela,” a State Department official said Tuesday. “This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.”

The release of American citizens was first reported by Bloomberg.

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TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO PROTECT VENEZUELA OIL REVENUE HELD IN US ACCOUNTS

Venezuelans celebrate after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Venezuela had begun releasing political prisoners.

“Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you! I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.”

Venezuela’s interim government has reported that 116 prisoners have been released, although only about 70 have been verified by the non-governmental organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, according to Bloomberg.

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National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said prisoner releases would continue, according to the outlet.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FILES SEIZURE WARRANTS TARGETING SHIPS TIED TO VENEZUELAN OIL TRADE: REPORT

Nicolás Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026, in New York City (XNY/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images)

The U.S. government issued a new security alert Saturday urging Americans in Venezuela to leave the country immediately, citing security concerns and limited ability to provide emergency assistance, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas said.

“U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately,” the embassy said in the alert.

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The warning pointed to reports of armed groups operating on Venezuelan roads.

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Venezuelan citizens in Cucuta, Colombia celebrate during a rally on the Colombia-Venezuela border after the confirmation of Nicolás Maduro’s capture in Caracas, on January 3, 2026. (Jair F. Coll/Getty Images)

Following the military operation, Trump suggested that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an extended period.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said.

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Lawsuits against ICE agents would be allowed under proposed California law

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Lawsuits against ICE agents would be allowed under proposed California law

A week after a Minnesota woman was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, California legislators moved forward a bill that would make it easier for people to sue federal agents if they believe their constitutional rights were violated.

A Senate committee passed Senate Bill 747 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), which would provide Californians with a stronger ability to take legal action against federal law enforcement agents over excessive use of force, unlawful home searches, interfering with a right to protest and other violations.

California law already allows such suits against state and local law enforcement officials.

Successful civil suits against federal officers over constitutional rights are less common.

Wiener, appearing before Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, said his bill has taken on new urgency in the wake of the death of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota, the 37-year-old mother of three who was shot while driving on a snowy Minneapolis street.

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Good was shot by an agent in self-defense, said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who alleged that Good tried to use her car as a weapon to run over the immigration officer.

Good’s death outraged Democratic leaders across the country, who accuse federal officers of flouting laws in their efforts to deport thousands of undocumented immigrants. In New York, legislators are proposing legislation similar to the one proposed by Wiener that would allow state-level civil actions against federal officers.

George Retes Jr., a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who was kept in federal custody for three days in July, described his ordeal at Tuesday’s committee hearing, and how immigration officers swarmed him during a raid in Camarillo.

Retes, a contracted security guard at the farm that was raided, said he was brought to Port Hueneme Naval Base. Officials swabbed his cheek to obtain DNA, and then moved him to Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He was not allowed to make a phone call or see an attorney, he said.

“I did not resist, I did not impede or assault any agent,” Retes said.”What happened to me that day was not a misunderstanding. It was a violation of the Constitution by the very people sworn to uphold it.”

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He also accused Department of Homeland security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin of spreading false information about him to justify his detention. DHS said in a statement last year that Retes impeded their operation, which he denies.

Retes has filed a tort claim against the U.S. government, a process that is rarely successful, said his attorney, Anya Bidwell.

Lawsuits can also be brought through the Bivens doctrine, which refers to the 1971 Supreme Court ruling Bivens vs. Six Unknown Federal Agents that established that federal officials can be sued for monetary damages for constitutional violations. But in recent decades, the Supreme Court has repeatedly restricted the ability to sue under Bivens.

Wiener’s bill, if passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, would be retroactive to March 2025.

“We’ve had enough of this terror campaign in our communities by ICE,” said Wiener at a news conference before the hearing. “We need the rule of law and we need accountability.”

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Weiner is running for the congressional seat held by former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco).

Representatives for law enforcement agencies appeared at Tuesday’s hearing to ask for amendments to ensure that the bill wouldn’t lead to weakened protections for state and local officials.

“We’re not opposed to the intent of the bill. We’re just concerned about the future and the unintended consequences for your California employees,” said David Mastagni, speaking on behalf of the Peace Officers Research Assn. of California, which represents more than 85,000 public safety members.

Wiener’s bill is the latest effort by the state Legislature to challenge President Trump’s immigration raids. Newsom last year signed legislation authored by Wiener that prohibits law enforcement officials, including federal immigration agents, from wearing masks, with some exceptions.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued last year to block the law, and a hearing in the case is scheduled for Wednesday.

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