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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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Shutting down dissent: Tanzania’s election goes offline

Demonstrators carry the dead body of a man killed during a protest a day after a general election marred by violent demonstrations over the exclusion of two leading opposition candidates at the Namanga One-Post Border crossing point between Kenya and Tanzania, as seen from Namanga, Kenya October 30, 2025.
REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

Tanzania has been rocked by violence for three days now, following a national election earlier this week. Protestors are angry over the banning of candidates and detention of opposition leaders by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the East African nation’s first female leader, who is widely expected to secure a new mandate (results are expected Saturday)

Hard Numbers: Trump administration lowers refugee limit, 6,7 enshrined in the dictionary, Jamaica’s preparedness paid off in Hurricane Melissa

Illegal immigrants from Ethiopia walk on a road near the town of Taojourah February 23, 2015. The area, described by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as one of the most inhospitable areas in the world, is on a transit route for thousands of immigrants every year from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia travelling via Yemen to Saudi Arabia in hope of work. Picture taken February 23.
REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

7,500: The Trump administration will cap the number of refugees that the US will admit over the next year to 7,500. The previous limit, set by former President Joe Biden, was 125,000. The new cap is a record low. White South Africans will have priority access.

Jacinda Ardern and Lisa Monaco on cybersecurity, AI, and protecting democracy

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In an era characterized by rapid technological advancement, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence present both challenges and opportunities. At the 2025 Paris Peace Forum, GZERO’s Tony Maciulis engages in an insightful conversation with Dame Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Lisa Monaco, President of Global Affairs at Microsoft, discussing strategies for a secure digital future.

AI access, policy, and education

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As AI adoption accelerates globally, questions of equity and access are coming to the forefront. Speaking with GZERO’s Tony Maciulis on the sidelines of the 2025 Paris Peace Forum, Chris Sharrock, Vice President of UN Affairs and International Organizations at Microsoft, discusses the role of technology in addressing global challenges.

Hard Numbers: Hurricane Melissa’s death toll rises, sectarian violence displaces hundreds of thousands in Syria, Coffee prices soar, More jewel thieves arrested

A woman carries water out of her home, after floods caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa killed several people, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 29, 2025.
REUTERS/Egeder Pq Fildor

23: Twenty-three people have died in Haiti after Hurricane Melissa passed near the island, adding more anguish to a country that has been in crisis for most of the past decade and without a president since Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021.

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