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Hollywood super-agent and Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel reportedly tried to broker a deal between Elon Musk and Twitter’s board of directors to settle their heated legal battle over a nixed $44 billion takeover.

Emanuel – who was spotted partying with a shirtless Musk aboard a yacht off Mykonos over the summer – contacted Twitter board member Egon Durban within the last few weeks to recommend the two sides reach a settlement before their case goes to trial, a report said on Friday.

Durban relayed details about his talks with Emanuel to Twitter’s other board members, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Twitter declined comment. Musk’s team did not immediately return The Post’s calls. The Post also reached out to Endeavor for comment on the report.

Twitter’s stock was up about 3% to roughly $44 per share in late trading Friday.

It’s unclear what prompted Emanuel to get involved in the high-stakes legal battle or whether his overtures yielded any progress toward a settlement, according to Bloomberg.

Elon Musk and Ari Emanuel
Elon Musk was spotted on Ari Emanuel’s yacht over the summer.
ThePhotOne / BACKGRID
Elon Musk
Elon Musk wants to nix his $44 billion deal to buy Twitter.
NTB/AFP via Getty Images

Emanuel is closely linked to Durban, who is also a member of Endeavor Group Holdings’ board of directors. Musk was a board member at Endeavor until he stepped down earlier this year.

Musk caused a stir in July when he was photographed hanging out with Emanuel and his wife Sarah Staudinger on the luxury yacht. Photos of the vacation buddies sparked countless memes and even led Musk to declare it was time for him to get back in shape.

Emanuel’s apparent back-channel efforts emerged just weeks before the highly anticipated trial is slated to kick off on Oct. 17.

Twitter
Elon Musk’s trial date with Twitter is slated for next month.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

“It makes me think Elon doesn’t have some kind of stellar ace for the trial,” a hedge fund manager closely following the situation told The Post. “I’d have to presume Ari is not going rogue here.”

Twitter is seeking a court order that would force Musk to buy Twitter along the originally-agreed sale terms of $54.20 per share, or about $44 billion.

Meanwhile, Musk is attempting to back out of the deal entirely. His legal team has cited concerns about spam bots within Twitter’s user base and accused company representatives of withhold critical information related to that issue.

Twitter
Twitter is attempting to hold Musk to the deal’s original terms.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Musk’s legal team and Twitter are still sparring over key deposition dates ahead of the trial. A court filing this week said Musk would be deposed by Twitter’s lawyers on Oct. 6 and 7, though a source told The Post the date has yet to be finalized.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal is also slated to be deposed prior to the trial. He withdrew from a scheduled deposition on Monday due to unspecified personal reasons.

The delayed depositions sparked rampant speculation that the two sides were in settlement talks, but Twitter shares tanked after The Post reported a source close to the situation said no settlement was immediately expected.

Josh Kosman contributed reporting.

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Gwen Stefani formed the band No Doubt all the way back in 1986 — yes, really! — but in 1995, the rockers broke out with their hit song “Don’t Speak.” Since then, Gwen’s career (and love life!) have really taken off. 

Ultimately, the band took a hiatus, and Gwen started working on her own solo albums with massive hits like “Hollaback Girl” and “The Sweet Escape,” but she’s added so much more to her resume!

The blonde bombshell launched her clothing label, L.A.M.B in 2004, adding a perfume called L to the line in 2007. In 2016, she started making eyeglasses as part of her collection after she began having to wear them herself. 

Gwen also became a notable face in the makeup world thanks to her signature red lip and perfect porcelain skin. In 2011, she became a spokesperson for L’Oreal Paris and collaborated with Urban Decay a few years later to create her own collection in 2016. She also kicked off a very successful Vegas residency in 2018.

Of course, her most notable gig besides music has to be her role as a coach on The Voice. She first appeared on season 7 in 2014, replacing Christina Aguilera.

Quickly becoming a fan favorite, Gwen went on to act as a coach for seasons  9, 12, 17 and 19, and an advisor on seasons 8 and 10. 

And thanks to meeting a special someone on set, The Voice became much more to her than just an opportunity to help other performers on the rise.

After the singer got divorced in 2015 from Gavin Rossdale — with whom she shares sons Kingston, Zuma and Apollo — she moved on with fellow TV judge Blake Shelton. After five years of dating, the country crooner finally popped the question in 2020.

“Hey @gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020 … And the rest of my life.  I love you. I heard a YES!” he wrote beside an Instagram photo of Gwen flaunting her new ring on October 27.

The engagement happened at the chapel Blake built for Gwen on the grounds of their Oklahoma home,” an insider exclusively told In Touch about the proposal, adding, “Blake got down on one knee.” Gwen is “over the moon” to spend the rest of her life with her beau. 

Since that romantic engagement, Blake and Gwen’s dream wedding “came together without a hitch,” a source told In Touch, and the happy pair were married on July 3, 2021, in an intimate ceremony on Blake’s Oklahoma ranch. 

Gwen shared some pictures of the nuptials on Instagram with the caption, “Dreams do come true!”

Scroll through the gallery below to see her epic transformation from rocker chick to happy bride!



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Lefty Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner claimed violent crime was worse in “Trump states” — as he denied his soft-on-crime policies were to blame for his city’s soaring crime rate.

Krasner’s bold statements came during a fiery interview with Fox29’s “Good Morning Philadelphia” Wednesday, when he was grilled by anchor Mike Jerrick a day after five teens were shot at a high school.

“These states in the United States that have a rate of homicide that is 40% higher are MAGA states, they are Trump states,” the top prosecutor said, referring to states where the majority of residents voted for Donald Trump in the last election. 

Jerrick countered that Republicans have claimed the rising crime rates were largely limited to “blue” states.

“Republicans lie!” Krasner cried out. “I mean, let’s just get down to it. Republicans lie. That is what they do.”

Anchor Mike Jerrick, right, asked Krasner if it was possible that his lenient policies were not working and inquired if the DA had thought of resigning.
Anchor Mike Jerrick, right, asked Krasner if it was possible that his lenient policies were not working and inquired if the DA had thought of resigning.
FOX 29

After his answer was met with a pushback from Jerrick, Krasner conceded that “not all” Republicans lie, but said that “the MAGA ones do.” The DA then said that eight of 10 of the most violent cities were “Trump ones.”

As of Thursday, more than 1,700 people have been shot in the City of Brotherly Love, which set a record last year with 561 homicides. So far this year, there have been 403 slayings, according to the city’s controller’s. Armed robberies were up 59% and commercial burglaries increased nearly 50%.

During the heated exchange, Jerrick also grilled Krasner on what he described as the DA’s “perception problem.”

“There is a perception in this city that the reason for all this gun violence is you,” Jerrick said.

Mike Jerrick grabbed his head as he exclaimed that "there’s 1,000 people killed in 20 months!”
Jerrick grabbed his head as he exclaimed that “there’s 1,000 people killed in 20 months!”
FOX 29

“I don’t,” Krasner shot back, before launching into an argument whose main thrust was that he won re-election in 2021 in a landslide, suggesting that the people of the city — especially those living in high-crime areas — support his policies.

Jerrick interjected, saying that “every cop” he’s ever spoken to has said that Krasner’s policies are “too lenient.”

Krasner, who was first elected as DA in 2017, said that he and other reform prosecutors were being unfairly blamed for rising crime rates for “political reasons,” even though there were multiple factors at play.

Crime scene investigators use evidence markers to record the location of nearly 100 pieces of ballistic evidence in the street after a shooting in Philadelphia in August.
Crime scene investigators use evidence markers to record the location of nearly 100 pieces of ballistic evidence in the street after a shooting in Philadelphia in August.
Joseph Kaczmarek/Shutterstock

“And you are a reform district attorney,” Jerrick interrupted him again. “Everybody in the country knows that. Maybe it’s not working.”

Krasner insisted that his policies were working, only to have Jerrick cut him off again, exclaiming while grabbing his head in frustration: “There’s 1,000 people killed in 20 months!”

Defiant, Krasner pressed on with his talking points, arguing that “there is absolutely no correlation between being progressive or traditional and the rate of crime.”

Krasner’s contentious interview on Fox 29 show came a day after five teens were shot, one fatally, while leaving the field after a football scrimmage at Roxborough High School.

Jerrick asked Krasner if he had thought of resigning, to which the DA replied: “No, because the fact is that Philadelphia voted for me overwhelmingly because they want what we are doing.”

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There’s a new man in the Abraham household. Teen Mom OG alum Farrah Abraham’s daughter Sophia Abraham is officially dating, but luckily for the teen, the reality star reveals she approves of the relationship in an exclusive video interview with In Touch

“I talk about it in therapy,” Farrah, 31, jokingly tells In Touch exclusively. “He’s a good boy or I’ll make him that, either way,” the single mom says about her daughter’s boyfriend. 

Farrah Abraham on Sophia Boyfriend
Shutterstock; Courtesy of Sophia Abraham/TikTok

Sophia, 13, first revealed her significant other in an August TikTok video that showed the pair enjoying a day at Build-A-Bear, writing, “He got me a build a bear plushie.”

“There’s a few ups and downs definitely,” she said when asked if mom approves, adding that she and her beau met while attending “a songwriting camp from the Paramount Theater.”

“I think Sophia might be saying, like, she’s limited with her boyfriend,” the former MTV star chimed in. “They got, they got some good music every time they’re together though.”

While she ultimately approves of her daughter’s relationship and admits that “every day’s a new day” while raising a teenager, Farrah goes on to reveal that she’s “a little bit shocked that Sophia is dating before [she is].”

“That’s what I had to talk to my therapist about,” she says. “But anyways, I definitely have limits. Um, but I’m happy, I’m happy for Sophia dating them. That’s, uh, kosher right now.”

The My Teenage Dream Ended author is no stranger to mom-shamers as she recently came under fire for allowing Sophia to get a facial piercing for her 13th birthday, though she stands by her decision.

“Sophia did nothing wrong and I’m happy that Sophia has her nose piercing and she’s definitely taken over the internet with it. There’s been a lot of other 13-year-olds getting nose piercings,” Farrah tells In Touch.

“Some of Sophia’s friends were not lucky enough to have a mom to go with them and they did do their nose piercing at home and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s scary,” she continues. “If it’s not permanent and if it’s legal, I support it and I would be there. Sophia has her cousins getting nose piercing now. Like there’s just nose piercings everywhere,” adding that she’s “not open” to tattoos.

Farrah shares her only daughter with high school boyfriend Derek Underwood. Derek tragically died in a car accident when she was pregnant in December 2008.

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I have a movie quote for Apple. It’s from a little Bill Murray flick called “Stripes.”

“Lighten up, Francis.”

The tech giant has reportedly forced out Tony Blevins, a top executive and one of only 30 employees who reports directly to CEO Tim Cook, after he repeated a bawdy quote (albeit with his own flair) from the 1981 Dudley Moore classic “Arthur.”

To summarize this corporate criminalization of comedy: Blevins, the VP of procurement for Apple, was at a California car show in August when TikToker Daniel Mac, who is known for asking people in fancy cars what they do for a living, turned his camera and question to Blevins.

“I have rich cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women,” Blevins said while exiting his pricey Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. “But I take weekends and holidays off.”

The woman who was with him, and presumably truly knows him, was hardly offended. She cackled like she was in the presence of a reincarnated Richard Pryor.

The video eventually went viral and came to the attention of Apple bosses, who launched an internal investigation into the matter. Though they could have saved the time and labor and instead hunkered down for a Liza Minelli movie marathon.

Apple executive Tony Blevins riffing on a quote from the movie "Arthur" in the Daniel Mac video that led to him leaving the company.
Apple executive Tony Blevins riffing on a quote from the movie “Arthur” in the Daniel Mac video that led to him leaving the company.
itsdanielmac

Blevins — who joined the company in 2000 — saw his 22-year tenure torched by a seconds-long video. On his way out, he apologized, calling it “my mistaken attempt at humor.”

It would seem that the good folks who made my iPhone not only lack a general appreciation for good cinema but have quite a shortcoming in the grace department.

Beyond the gross overreaction, canning top talent over a harmless pop culture reference is a bizarre path to innovation for the world’s top tech company. According to a 2020 WSJ profile of Blevins, he will “stop at little to get a favorable deal. He has paraded manufacturers past competitors in Apple’s lobby and spurned a UPS contract by sending it back to UPS executives through FedEx.”

Dudley Moore plays a wealthy lush about town in the 1981 film "Arthur."
Dudley Moore plays a wealthy lush about town in the 1981 film “Arthur.”
©Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy E

Clearly, the man has a unique gift for doing his job that has allowed him to rise to the top of his industry. Imagine an NFL team cutting a Pro Bowl cornerback during the playoffs because he uttered an off-color movie quote or song lyric.

“You’re leading the league in interceptions but you gotta pack up your locker and go, son.”

Blevins was clearly parodying an already outrageous fictional character, but that doesn’t matter. A scold mentality has infested corporate America, turning us into tattletale, PC robots more interested in unearthing microaggressions than doing an effective job.

Perhaps one can argue that Blevins’ great blunder was simply participating and being playful. And maybe that’s true. But we are given mixed messages from our cultural overlords about what is and isn’t kosher. On Apple TV’s “Gutsy,” Hillary Clinton interviews rapper Megan Thee Stallion about her orifice opus “WAP” and gives her the deference she would a head of state.

Tony Blevins a former VP at Apple speaks at an event.
Tony Blevins, a former VP at Apple, speaks at an event.
NC State ISE

We praise the libertines one day and yell at others to be prudes the next. The pearl-clutching is schizophrenic at best.

Humor used to be a uniting and essential force in our society — a salve soothing over our rough differences. As the great Joan Rivers once said, “If we didn’t laugh, where the hell would we all be?”

Sadly, we have the answer in 2022: We are infantilized adults living in a romper room simulation.

And as we increasingly capitulate to this mentality, we are also voluntarily dragging ourselves into the loser bracket.



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There’s a new man in the Abraham household. Teen Mom OG alum Farrah Abraham’s daughter Sophia Abraham is officially dating, but luckily for the teen, the reality star reveals she approves of the relationship in an exclusive video interview with In Touch

“I talk about it in therapy,” Farrah, 31, jokingly tells In Touch exclusively. “He’s a good boy or I’ll make him that, either way,” the single mom says about her daughter’s boyfriend. 

Farrah Abraham on Sophia Boyfriend
Shutterstock; Courtesy of Sophia Abraham/TikTok

Sophia, 13, first revealed her significant other in an August TikTok video that showed the pair enjoying a day at Build-A-Bear, writing, “He got me a build a bear plushie.”

“There’s a few ups and downs definitely,” she said when asked if mom approves, adding that she and her beau met while attending “a songwriting camp from the Paramount Theater.”

“I think Sophia might be saying, like, she’s limited with her boyfriend,” the former MTV star chimed in. “They got, they got some good music every time they’re together though.”

While she ultimately approves of her daughter’s relationship and admits that “every day’s a new day” while raising a teenager, Farrah goes on to reveal that she’s “a little bit shocked that Sophia is dating before [she is].”

“That’s what I had to talk to my therapist about,” she says. “But anyways, I definitely have limits. Um, but I’m happy, I’m happy for Sophia dating them. That’s, uh, kosher right now.”

The My Teenage Dream Ended author is no stranger to mom-shamers as she recently came under fire for allowing Sophia to get a facial piercing for her 13th birthday, though she stands by her decision.

“Sophia did nothing wrong and I’m happy that Sophia has her nose piercing and she’s definitely taken over the internet with it. There’s been a lot of other 13-year-olds getting nose piercings,” Farrah tells In Touch.

“Some of Sophia’s friends were not lucky enough to have a mom to go with them and they did do their nose piercing at home and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s scary,” she continues. “If it’s not permanent and if it’s legal, I support it and I would be there. Sophia has her cousins getting nose piercing now. Like there’s just nose piercings everywhere,” adding that she’s “not open” to tattoos.

Farrah shares her only daughter with high school boyfriend Derek Underwood. Derek tragically died in a car accident when she was pregnant in December 2008.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi caused outrage Friday when she attempted to justify waves of illegal migration to the US by claiming Florida farmers needed the new arrivals to “pick the crops down there.”

The California Democrat made the stunning remarks during a news conference at which she agreed that US has a responsibility to secure the border, but should also “recognize the importance of newcomers to our nation.”

“Right now, the best thing that we can do for our economy is comprehensive immigration reform,” Pelosi told reporters after being asked if she thought the southern border was secure following more than two million arrests of illegal crossers over the past 12 months.

“We have a shortage of workers in our country, and you see even in Florida, some of the farmers and the growers saying: ‘Why are you shipping these immigrants up north? We need them to pick the crops down here,’” she mused.

Nancy Pelosi
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that Florida farmers want migrants to stay in the state to help “pick crops.”
AP

Without mentioning any names, Pelosi’s comments were an obvious dig at Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after he orchestrated the transfer of dozens of migrants from Texas to the wealthy liberal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts earlier this month.

DeSantis’ fellow Republican governors — Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona — have already bussed hundreds of migrants to so-called “sanctuary cities”, including New York and Washington DC, this year.

Pelosi received furious backlash on Twitter — with many accusing her of suggesting the US should take open its borders to take advantage of “cheap foreign labor.”

Arizona GOP Rep. Andy Biggs tweeted: “It’s clear Pelosi and Democrats are exploiting illegal aliens and only view them as cheap labor.”

Migrants gather at Martha's Vineyard
Dozens of migrants were shipped to Martha’s Vineyard earlier this from Texas — via Florida.
AP
Ron DeSantis
Pelosi’s comments appeared to be a dig at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after he shipped dozens of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard earlier this month.
USA Today Network/Sipa USA

Other critics accused Pelosi of racism for stereotyping migrants as farm workers.

“Nancy Pelosi thinks immigrants should be picking crops,” the Republican National Committee’s RNC Latinos Twitter account posted. “When Democrats show you their true colors, believe them.”

“Hard to believe immigrants who have become American citizens are starting to vote Republican when the leader of the congressional Democrat party views them only as fruit pickers,” tweeted Republican consultant Nathan Wurtzel.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform added: “For Democrats, mass immigration checks two boxes: 1. More future voters 2. Cheap foreign labor.”

“Nancy Pelosi truly is the spitting image of Lucille Bluth,” Jason Howerton said, referring to the “Arrested Development” character played by Jessica Walter. “So out of touch it almost feels like satire.”

“The Martha’s Vineyard migrant flight is the gift that just keeps on giving,” cracked Washington Examiner commentary editor Conn Carroll.

“I want you to imagine for a second what would happen if Trump said ‘we need the immigrants down south to pick our crops’ instead of Pelosi,” mused Caleb Hull.



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Working woman! 90 Day Fiancé star Jenny Slatten has had several careers in her work history, proving that she knows how to make a living to support herself and her family. The California native was a single mom of three daughters (and grandmother of four) before she met her second husband, Sumit Singh, and she held lots of jobs before she entered retirement after her move to India. Keep scrolling below to learn more about Jenny’s job history.

What Was Jenny Slatten’s Job Before ’90 Day Fiance’?

According to Jenny’s official Facebook page, Jenny previously worked in quality assurance for TE Connectivity and she was a former sales associate at RadioShack.

Before her big move to India in 2018, Jenny worked in the hospitality industry. At the time of filming her debut season 1 of 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way with Sumit, she was working at a resort. According to her Facebook, her former place of employment was Shadow Ridge Marriot resort and she held a housekeeping position.

“I’m gonna go and start a new life with Sumit so that’s why I just recently quit my job and my plan is to take out all my savings and I’m moving to India in two weeks,” she said in her confessional on the season 1 premiere in 2019. She planned to cash in her 401k from her job at the resort as well as wipe out the $6,000 she had in savings, and met with a financial advisor to find out if that would be enough to live off of for the rest of her life in India with Sumit. However, her advisor said she would only be able to live off of her 401k and her savings for about six to nine months abroad.

Her advisor then asked if Jenny had a plan on how to survive financially once her 401k and savings money ran out. “I was told apply for social security before I go because it’d still be going in my bank here right?” she asked, but she was in for a rude awakening.

“With regards to your social security, I do believe that if you are no longer a U.S. citizen, you will not get your social security,” her advisor said. “I can’t imagine that if you’re giving up U.S. citizenship, that they wouldl continue to pay you. And that’s a big give up.”

jenny sumit valentine's day 2022
Courtesy of Jenny Slatten/Instagram

In her confessional, Jenny said, “As soon as I get to India, we have to get married so I can apply for a work visa and wait for it to be approved because I’m gonna have to get a job. I need to hit the ground running.”

However, 90 Day Fiancé fans will recall that’s not how their story played out. Jenny moved to India on season 1 but she quickly realized that Sumit was keeping a huge secret from her: he had a wife that he had wed during an arranged marriage that his parents had set up for him. Jenny and Sumit had previously met in 2011 and they dated long-distance, but after Jenny visited Sumit in India for the first time, his parents did not approve because of their 30-year age gap. Instead, they set Sumit up with a woman his age and the couple married — but Sumit continued his long-distance relationship with Jenny online.

After learning about the shocking betrayal, Jenny returned to live in the United States briefly while Sumit vowed to divorce his current wife so that he and Jenny could wed. She returned to India in 2019 and season 2 documented the process as Sumit waited for his divorce to be finalized. The couple finally wed in August 2021 and their wedding played out on an episode of 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way season 3. The couple continued to share their story on season 7 of the TLC spinoff 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

On season 7, Jenny and Sumit could not come to an agreement about employment. Sumit wanted to return to the workforce and restart his career as a chef, but Jenny preferred that Sumit didn’t work so he could spend more time with her at home. “Six days a week is too much,” she argued with him during a September 2022 episode. “I have money too coming in. Now, I get my retirement and my social security … I’m not gonna depend only on you.”

Jenny Sumit 90 Day Fiance The Other Way Cast
Courtesy of TLC

What Else Does ’90 Day Fiance’ Star Jenny Slatten Do for a Living?

On top of her social security and retirement payments, Jenny has several other streams of income. In September 2021, it was rumored that Jenny had taken a position at a hotel in India as a concierge. However, it seems she had left her job there to become her own boss — and it seems she changed her mind about allowing Sumit to continue his job in the culinary field.

In August 2022, a fan commented on Jenny’s official Facebook post featuring photos of her and Sumit. “Can you tell us if either of you have jobs? Thank you,” the follower asked. “Yes we have [an] online business and Sumit is [a] cook,” Jenny replied from her verified account.

Jenny and Sumit also earn a paycheck from filming several seasons of the TLC franchise. On top of that, Jenny is on Cameo, where she charges fans $75 for a personalized video message.



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Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott will face Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke Friday in their first – and likely only – debate ahead of the Nov. 8 election, with the ongoing border crisis the dominant issue facing the Lone Star State.

Polls have shown Abbott consistently leading O’Rourke, who became a national figure in 2018 by narrowly losing to Sen. Ted Cruz — raising hopes among national Democrats that the reliably red state could soon turn purple, or even blue.

“Here’s the way I see it: Most Texans are just beginning to tune into this election,” O’Rourke, 50, said ahead of the showdown in the Rio Grande Valley city of Edinburg.

But Abbott, who leads the Democrat by eight percentage points in an average of polls measured by RealClearPolitics, has been undaunted even as O’Rourke outraised the two-term incumbent with at least a $30 million haul in the first half of this year.

“This game ain’t over yet, and we’ll see how close it is when all is said and done,” Abbott said earlier this month.

O’Rourke has employed attacking rhetoric on the campaign trail and is expected to do the same at the debate, going after Abbott over the state’s near-total ban on abortions and the Republican’s hands-off view of gun control in the wake of the May 24 Uvalde school massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, shakes a National Guard member's hand after speaking during a news conference along the Rio Grande in 2021.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right, shakes a National Guard member’s hand after speaking during a news conference along the Rio Grande in 2021.
Julio Cortez/AP

Texas’ abortion restrictions have no exemption for rape, and access to the procedure has been curbed further in the wake of the June Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Abbott has also taken some criticism for his response to the Uvalde shooting, but it’s unclear whether O’Rourke’s views on guns, including past support for a ban on AR-15-style firearms, will be a liability in Texas.

O’Rourke is now calling to raise the legal age to buy the weapons to 21 – a move which Abbott is firmly against.

“If Beto can coax Abbott into a moment where there’s a stark difference on, say, gun control, I think that can have a big impact,” Jason Villalba, who runs the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation, told the AP. “But to do that you have to be aggressive and take large risks.”

Abbott, meanwhile, is expected to stay focused on immigration as the ongoing surge at the border has created a humanitarian crisis and national political debate. There were a record 2 million illegal border crossings logged in the last 11 months, according to figures released this month by US Customs and Border Protection.

The incumbent is expected to trumpet his “Operation Lone Star” program which sent state police and National Guard to assist border municipalities.

But despite the hype, it may be difficult for either candidate to move the needle significantly.

In a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters released Wednesday, 96% of respondents said they had already made up their minds about for whom to vote.

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks during a campaign rally on August 24, 2022 in Humble, Texas.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke’s stance on guns could hurt him with some Texas voters.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A large plurality of voters (38%) ranked the border as the most urgent issue facing Texas, followed by abortion (17%) and inflation (11%). No other issue cracked double digits, with gun policy coming closest as the top issue of 8% of voters.

“The race for the top job in Austin leans toward Abbott, who has very strong support from white Texans, particularly white men, while O’Rourke has overwhelming appeal among Black voters and strong support among young voters,”Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement.

A statewide Democratic victory would not only send political shockwaves across the largest Republican-led state, but could mean a different-looking electoral map when it comes to future presidential races.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference on September 13, 2022 in Houston, Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has taken heat over his response to the Uvalde school massare in May.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

O’Rourke came within 3 percentage points of unseating Cruz in 2018 but Republicans have held a vice grip on statewide politics even as Democratic support has surged in the state’s urban centers and among black voters, polling has showed.

Friday’s debate will also mark the first time the candidates meet in person since O’Rourke confronted Abbott at a briefing after the Uvalde shootings.

“The time to stop the next shooting is now and you’re doing nothing!” O’Rourke yelled at Abbott before he was escorted away by security.

With Post wires

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Teen Mom 2 alum Kailyn Lowry is a busy mama of four sons, but she occasionally has time to either hit the beach or the pool! The former MTV personality has shared fun photos with her social media followers from time to time to show off the adventures she’s been on, even with fellow Teen Mom stars such as Leah Messer. And whenever she’s soaking up the sun, Kailyn made sure to don a stylish bikini and swimsuit.

“No filter necessary” the blonde babe captioned an Instagram photo in May 2019, featuring her sitting on the side of a boat, wearing a black bathing suit top with multi-patterned shorts. She also wore her hair in braided pigtails for her day at sea.

At the time, the “Coffee Convos” podcast host was enjoying a trip to Costa Rica with Leah, and they didn’t hesitate to share snapshots from their vacay.

“Rio Naranjo,” Kailyn captioned another post that month, featuring a photo of the two ladies splashing and smiling in the water.

Two months later, the reality TV alum shared a moment from when she and Leah rented a boat, seemingly bringing their respective kids along for the excursion. Kailyn shares Isaac with ex Jo Rivera, Lincoln with ex-husband Javi Marroquin and Lux and Creed with ex Chris Lopez.

“Leah [and] I got a boat for the day [and] when I tell you the kids were worn out … every single one of them fell asleep on the cruise back to the harbor,” she captioned a picturesque Instagram post in July 2019. “The best day!”

The snap featured Kailyn smiling in a lavender bikini top and sunglasses at the back of a boat next to her son Lux, who was sleeping under a blanket as the sun set behind them.

After she opened up about dealing with body image insecurities in her book Pride Over Pity, which was published in April 2014, Kailyn has encouraged positive self-perception with her fans online.

“Self love, self care [and] body positivity all 2021 in my @savagexfenty pieces,” she captioned an Instagram post in February 2021 alongside a photo of her wearing a sexy purple lace bra.

Whether it be a stylish dress or a sporty swimsuit, Kailyn always stuns in anything she wears.

Scroll through the gallery to see Kailyn’s stunning bikini pictures!



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