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Elon Musk’s Influence on the 2024 Presidential Election and Its Potential Outcomes

  In the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, the influence of tech moguls like Elon Musk is a point of significant interest. Musk, with his vast following, has demonstrated an ability to sway public opinion through his business decisions, public statements, and presence on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). The effect Musk’s actions may have on the election—and candidates such as Donald Trump—is worth examining as he becomes a key player in the larger landscape of digital influence. Elon Musk and Digital Influence in Politics A Shift in Public Influence Musk’s reach extends beyond business; he is now a major influencer in political spheres. By acquiring X, Musk gained direct access to one of the most influential social media platforms in the world, where he regularly engages with a diverse audience. His unpredictable political stances and commentary resonate with millions, and his platform decisions have the potential to shape public opinion. Musk’s Public Poli...
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Can Bookshop.org Save Independent Bookstores?



The Los Angeles Times recently checked in on Bookshop.org 6, an online bookseller, as it pulled in its first $1 million to help local bookstores across America (thanks partly to a partnership with Simon & Schuster).
“(This milestone) means that we’re accomplishing our mission of being a real meaningful support for independent bookstores 1,” said Andy Hunter, Bookshop’s founder and CEO. “We’re exceedingly pleased with how much we’ve been able to earn for the stores and many stores are also grateful.”

Bookshop, a Certified B corporation, was launched in January with a mission to help indie bookstores, which for years fought to compete with chains like Barnes & Noble and then the online retail giant Amazon. “Our goal is to take the conscious consumers away from Amazon and put them in a channel that supports local independent businesses and keeps bookstores in their communities,” said Hunter, which “are really essential to our cultural fabric when it comes to books.” Customers can choose to purchase from a specific indie bookstore affiliated with Bookshop or buy directly from the site.

But Hunter doesn’t expect to beat the e-commerce behemoth – only to help its competitors survive: “I expect Amazon will continue to sell more books than us for all eternity. We’re not trying to sell more books than them, but we are trying to get customers who care about their downtowns, their quality of life and the world that they want to live in to make a switch.”
The article notes that as lockdowns forced nonessential businesses to temporarily close, some bookstores “have turned to Bookshop to keep their businesses running.” The Harvard Bookstore even created a special page touting its “Weird History” books.


“Indie stores that sell through Bookshop.org 5 get 30% of every sale,” reports the Los Angeles Times. “Affiliate stores that send in referrals also get a 10% commission, compared with Amazon’s 4.5%. And for every sale made directly on Bookshop or through a referral, 10% is added to an earnings pool that is then distributed to indie bookstores every six months.”

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