<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump, left, is escorted by Air Force Col. Christopher M. Robinson, commander of the 89th Airlift Wing, right, as he walk from Marine One to Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.<\/p>\n
Luis M. Alvarez\/AP Photo\/Luis M. Alvarez<\/p>\n
Marine One, with President Donald Trump onboard, lifts off near Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.<\/p>\n
Mark Schiefelbein\/AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein<\/p>\n
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks during a primary election night event Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit.<\/p>\n
Julia Demaree Nikhinson\/AP Photo\/Julia Demaree Nikhinson<\/p>\n
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks during a primary election night event Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Detroit.<\/p>\n
Paul Sancya\/AP Photo\/Paul Sancya<\/p>\n
Progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has defeated moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic primary, which became a proxy battle for the party\u2019s direction. Tuesday\u2019s elections also included a Democratic primary victory by Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell in his rematch against Rep. Cori Bush, who was targeted by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee after denouncing Israel\u2019s military action in Gaza.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump swings through Las Vegas on Wednesday for a speech on the economy after his Republican National Committee fundraiser at his Southern California golf course, where authorities arrested a man they said was claiming to be part of the security detail.<\/p>\n
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The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into domestic abuse allegations against Republican Rep. Max Miller as the embattled Ohio congressman faces escalating pressure to resign from his former father-in-law, Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, and Trump. Democrats are eyeing the chance to flip Miller\u2019s congressional seat.<\/p>\n
Democratic turnout in Michigan primary one of the highest in state history<\/p>\n
The Democratic U.S. Senate contest in Michigan has surpassed turnout for previous Senate and gubernatorial primaries and almost every presidential primary going back to at least 1978, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.<\/p>\n
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As of noon ET Wednesday, a total of 1,528,280 votes had been counted. The total could end up being higher as ballots continue to be processed.<\/p>\n
But it already surpasses the roughly 1,181,000 votes counted in the 2020 U.S. Senate Democratic primary, and the approximately 1,131,000 votes counted in the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary.<\/p>\n
The 2026 turnout total so far trails the nearly 1,588,000 votes counted in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. About 1,117,000 votes were counted in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.<\/p>\n
North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards quits reelection bid after committee finds inappropriate conduct<\/p>\n
The House Ethics Committee recommended the Republican be censured for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female aides in his office. Edwards denied intending any of his conduct to be a sexual or romantic advance, but the committee said his behavior would \u201clead a reasonable observer to interpret it as such.\u201d<\/p>\n
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State law requires Edwards to submit his Wednesday withdrawal in writing to the state Board of Elections before ballots are mailed to overseas voters and the military. Since the primaries were months ago, the Republican executive committee in his district will name a replacement.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Mike Johnson is already juggling other disruptions as he tries to retain the GOP House majority, including in Ohio where Rep. Max Miller is under pressure to resign over his own ethics investigation.<\/p>\n
The seat Edwards will be vacating includes progressive Asheville, and farmer Jamie Ager, the Democratic nominee, is hoping to flip it.<\/p>\n
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US removes Fly Baghdad from sanctions list<\/p>\n
The U.S. removed sanctions on three Iran-linked companies, including Fly Baghdad Airlines, which was sanctioned in January 2024 for allegedly providing assistance to Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Also removed from the sanctions is Fly Baghdad\u2019s CEO and two aircraft.<\/p>\n
In addition to lifting sanctions on Fly Baghdad, the U.S. on Wednesday lifted sanctions on Iraq Express and another Fly Baghdad-linked company. A Treasury official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the sanctions said the decision to remove Fly Baghdad from the designations list was not indicative of any shift in U.S. policy toward Iran\u2019s government.<\/p>\n
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El-Sayed said he condemns antisemitism, wants to address \u2018everybody\u2019s pain\u2019<\/p>\n
El-Sayed said he wants to unify people rather than divide them, and that people should focus on ending wars and corporate influence in politics. He has previously faced criticism for calling Israel\u2019s military campaign in Gaza a \u201cgenocide.\u201d<\/p>\n
El-Sayed said \u201cwe can be talking about everybody\u2019s pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy commitment to Jewish safety is the same as I\u2019ve got a commitment to my own kids,\u201d he added. \u201cThat\u2019s the highest commitment I can offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Peters says El-Sayed needs to reach out to people to unify Democrats<\/p>\n
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, whose retirement led to the primary that Abdul El-Sayed won, said Wednesday that the new nominee needs to start reaching out to \u201cfolks\u201d to unify the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure he will, and that it has to start immediately, which, he assured me will happen,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n
Peters had little to say about El-Sayed\u2019s views on Israel and whether his win marks a shift for the Democratic Party. El-Sayed has criticized Israel\u2019s conduct in Gaza as well as pro-Israel campaign spending to defeat him in the primary.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHe campaigned on that issue, and the results speak for themselves,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n
Rogers calls El-Sayed an \u2018extremist\u2019 who represents \u2018complete insanity\u2019<\/p>\n
The Republican Senate nominee posted a lengthy statement on social media Wednesday, saying his general election opponent \u201cis leading a movement grounded in ideological fanaticism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rogers also swiped at El-Sayed for stumping with popular but controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has said \u201cAmerica deserved 9\/11.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Rogers said he never imagined he\u2019d face an opponent with that view, ascribing the comment to the candidate, not the online personality.<\/p>\n
His own campaign, Rogers said, is based on the notion that \u201cMichigan has a future built on common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
AIPAC says it\u2019s committed to defeating El-Sayed in November<\/p>\n
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which spent roughly $30 million in a failed effort to defeat El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, says it\u2019s committed to opposing him in the general election.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOur members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November,\u201d the group\u2019s statement said.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed responded on Wednesday: \u201cYou want more pain?\u201d<\/p>\n
The son of Egyptian immigrants made AIPAC and the tens of millions of dollars it spent to support Rep. Haley Stevens a centerpiece of his primary campaign. He has called Israel\u2019s military campaign in Gaza a \u201cgenocide,\u201d described the Israeli government as \u201cevil,\u201d and argued that AIPAC\u2019s influence distorts Democratic politics.<\/p>\n
Thune calls race between Rogers and El-Sayed \u2018a great contrast\u2019<\/p>\n
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the Senate Republican leader called the GOP nominee \u201ca great candidate, very experienced\u201d who is \u201crunning a terrific campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Thune spoke as El-Sayed addressed supporters at a victory news conference in Michigan and issued a five-debate challenge to Rogers.<\/p>\n
Thune called the Democratic nominee \u201cthe extreme radical choice,\u201d and said Democrats are \u201cgoing to have to accept those positions that he has been advocating for in a general election setting, which I think puts us in a pretty good spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
GOP Senate super PAC ad labels El-Sayed \u2018dangerously radical\u2019<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the theme of a new commercial out Wednesday from the Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.<\/p>\n
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The ad features video clips of El-Sayed \u201cin his own words,\u201d calling himself \u201cdangerous\u201d and vowing that, \u201cunder my leadership, our state will not expend a dime enforcing federal immigration policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group says it\u2019s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to air the ad.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed talks affordability, hammers Mike Rogers as beholden to Trump<\/p>\n
El-Sayed focused on affordability and healthcare in his speech, inviting people who voted for Trump in 2024 to \u201cjoin this movement now.\u201d<\/p>\n
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He positioned himself as the candidate who will stand up to Trump, in contrast to Rogers, who El-Sayed said went to Florida \u201cso he could lick every single boot Donald Trump owns.\u201d<\/p>\n
El-Sayed challenges Rogers to 5 general election debates<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you\u2019re gonna say no because you\u2019re a coward,\u201d El-Sayed, addressing his Republican opponent directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cFive debates, all right? If you\u2019re willing to stand with me and have a conversation, you and I both know that you will wither in front of your own crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
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El-Sayed quotes boxing legend while speaking to supporters<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the words of Muhammad Ali, we shook up the world,\u201d El-Sayed told supporters.<\/p>\n
El-Sayed was heavily outspent in his primary campaign, and his insurgent candidacy was opposed by the Democratic establishment.<\/p>\n
JD Vance quips about future \u2018President El-Sayed\u2019<\/p>\n
The vice president was addressing a roundtable focused on combating fraud, and making the point that the work of a task force he\u2019s leading needs congressional approval to prevent its results from evaporating once the Trump administration is over.<\/p>\n
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\u201cGod forbid you\u2019re going to have President El-Sayed in a few years,\u201d Vance said, referencing Abdul El-Sayed, who clinched Michigan\u2019s Democratic Senate primary just moments prior to his remarks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want him to undo all the incredible work that we\u2019ve been doing,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n
Michigan Democrats rally around El-Sayed<\/p>\n
Curtis Hertel, the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, urged unity within the Democratic party.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe have got to work together to take this country back,\u201d Hertel said. \u201cI can tell you what we need is a fighter … Abdul El-Sayed has been a fighter for the people over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n
McMorrow said that \u201cfor all of the differences that we may have had in the primary, that those differences pale in comparison to the contrast that we face in November.\u201d<\/p>\n
Republicans are counting on rifts inside the Democratic Party, but \u201cthis is the start of a celebration of all of us coming together,\u201d McMorrow said.<\/p>\n
Democrats stress unity after difficult primary<\/p>\n
Before speaking to supporters on Wednesday morning, El-Sayed spoke to state party chair Curtis Hertel Jr.<\/p>\n
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El-Sayed was flanked by Mallory McMorrow, the state senator who dropped her own primary campaign earlier this year after failing to gain traction. She announced her support for El-Sayed, and Stevens has as well.<\/p>\n
Hertel stressed Democratic enthusiasm as the party looks toward November.<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday was the highest turnout for Democrats in the history of a primary,\u201d Hertel said.<\/p>\n
Van Hollen says El-Sayed\u2019s win is a \u2018wake-up call\u2019 to establishment Democrats<\/p>\n
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who backed Abdul El-Sayed, said in an interview that his victory is a \u201cvery significant win\u201d and shows that his politics has gained traction with voters.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis should be a wake-up call to, you know, the Washington Democratic establishment and the Washington insiders in the pundit class,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Van Hollen stressed how important winning in the fall is for the party. \u201cWe need to win Michigan, he can win Michigan,\u201d the senator said, adding that El-Sayed\u2019s \u201cbrand of populism can connect with voters across the political spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stevens backs El-Sayed, pledges to support him vs. Mike Rogers<\/p>\n
Haley Stevens said in a statement Wednesday that she is \u201cproud to offer my support\u201d to Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan\u2019s Democratic Senate primary.<\/p>\n
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Stevens said it\u2019s important for Democrats to back him so the party can keep the Senate seat and win the chamber in the midterms.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonald Trump and Mike Rogers want us to come out of this primary tired and divided, so their billionaire backers can come in and let multimillionaire Mike Rogers walk away with this Senate seat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary in major victory for Democrats\u2019 progressive wing<\/p>\n
El-Sayed\u2019s defeat of Rep. Haley Stevens is a massive victory for the party\u2019s progressive wing in a battleground state.<\/p>\n
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The real test of the progressives\u2019 strength will now come in a November matchup against Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. The seat is pivotal to Democrats\u2019 chances of flipping the Senate and El-Sayed must now unite a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary.<\/p>\n
The race remained tight throughout Tuesday night, with a winner not declared until early Wednesday. In his final remarks before the race was called, El-Sayed said \u201ctomorrow we begin to mend fences.\u201d<\/p>\n
El-Sayed campaign says Stevens conceded in Michigan Senate Democratic primary<\/p>\n
Rep. Haley Stevens called Abdul El-Sayed to concede in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan on Wednesday morning, according to El-Sayed\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n
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A representative for Stevens\u2019 campaign did not return a request for comment. The Associated Press has not yet called the race.<\/p>\n
Regional officials tell AP negotiators have finalized the draft of a Strait of Hormuz deal<\/p>\n
The draft agreed to by Iranian and Omani negotiators awaits final approval from Iran\u2019s supreme leader, two regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the U.S.-Iranian dispute over shipping through the waterway. They said it is tied to the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran in June that aimed to end the fighting and reopen the strait, which ultimately collapsed.<\/p>\n
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said the potential deal will pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations to reach a final deal on Tehran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n
By Elena Becatoros, Samy Magdy and Darlene Superville<\/p>\n
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House Democrats add 12 solidly Trump districts to their midterm election target list<\/p>\n
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its list of targets to 58 House seats it believes are competitive, including districts Trump won easily less than two years ago.<\/p>\n
The ambitious list reflects Trump\u2019s diminished standing with the electorate and Democrats\u2019 belief they can capitalize on voters\u2019 frustrations over the economy, the war in Iran and the chaotic nature of Republican control during Trump\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n
\u201cMAGA Republicans who historically have considered themselves \u2018safe\u2019 have let down the people they were elected to represent, passing disastrous policies that are crushing working families and our communities,\u201d DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement.<\/p>\n
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Democrats need just a handful of seats to erase Republicans\u2019 narrow majority and control the chamber.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Donald Trump, left, is escorted by Air Force Col. Christopher M. Robinson, commander of the 89th Airlift…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":398510,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[101323,139870,139873,139868,139869,145,139866,139867,128811,31231,1939,139871,25785,103566,3116,6681,57944,96027,23681,59373,59371,59372,61260,61261,61262,82,84,83,139865,139872],"class_list":["post-398509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-abdul-el-sayed","tag-bernie-moreno","tag-cori-bush","tag-curtis-hertel-jr","tag-darlene-superville","tag-donald-trump","tag-elena-becatoros","tag-fatima-hussein","tag-hasan-piker","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-jamie-ager","tag-john-thune","tag-max-miller","tag-michigan","tag-mike-johnson","tag-mike-rogers","tag-muhammad-ali","tag-package-100024-ap-online","tag-package-100373-mc-complete-state-national","tag-product-30598-ap-national-news-report-a-wire","tag-product-31998-ap-online-national-news","tag-product-32510-ap-online-general-election-news","tag-product-32520-ap-online-other-u-s-government-news","tag-product-46986-ap-online-top-stories","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news","tag-trump-election-results-house-arrest-blanche","tag-wesley-bell"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=398509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/398509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/398510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=398509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=398509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=398509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}