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Hard Numbers: Messi in GOP primary, Indian oppo bloc, Brits sour on Brexit, ChatGPT for cybercriminals, Phoenix melts, Michigan fake electors charged

July 18, 2023
Carlos Santamaria
Leo Messi presents his jersey next to Inter Miami owners (Jorge Mas, Jose Mas, and David Beckham) during Messi's presentation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Leo Messi presents his jersey next to Inter Miami owners (Jorge Mas, Jose Mas, and David Beckham) during Messi's presentation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

40,000: To meet the 40,000-donor threshold for the Republican presidential debate on Aug. 23, long-shot GOP primary hopeful and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is raffling off two front-row tickets to watch soccer GOAT Leo Messi's debut game for Inter Miami for a $1 donation. Resellers are currently hawking the same tickets for more than $110,000.

55: More than seven years after the UK voted to leave the EU, a YouGov poll shows that 55% of Brits now think it was the wrong thing to do — the highest number since Brexit. An outside observer might naturally conclude that perhaps it's time for a new referendum, but realistically that's as unlikely as a second vote on Scottish independence.

26: Twenty-six Indian opposition parties have joined an alliance to unseat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of PM Narendra Modi in the 2024 election. The coalition's name is "INDIA," an original yet effective way to avoid the mouthful "Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance."

550: In the growing global freakout over AI, hackers see ... opportunity. Meet WormGPT, the ChatGPT for cybercriminals, which a developer is reportedly selling access to in a popular hacker form. Fortunately, WormGPT ain’t cheap — the launch price is 550 euros ($617) per year.

19: Last week, we flagged that Phoenix, AZ. was on track to beat its 1974 record of 18 consecutive days in which the temperature topped 110 F. On Tuesday, the city surpassed the mark amid the mother of all sizzlers in the Northern Hemisphere.

16: On Tuesday, Michigan's attorney general charged 16 Republicans for allegedly masquerading as state electors in a failed attempt to overturn former US President Donald Trump's 2020 defeat. The charges are the first to be brought against 2020 fake electors, and a similar probe is ongoing in Atlanta.

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