How Abdul El-Sayed went from political oblivion to progressive breakthrough in Michigan Senate race
DETROIT (AP) — Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in a victory for the party’s progressive wing in a battleground state. El-Sayed narrowly defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November. The seat is pivotal to Democrats’ chances of flipping the Senate. El-Sayed will face the challenge of uniting a divided Democratic base after a bruising primary. El-Sayed, a former health official, campaigned on “Medicare for All,” halting military aid to Israel and campaign finance reform. He had support from progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Iran and the US say a Strait of Hormuz deal is close, but one or both would have to back down
CAIRO (AP) — Iran and Oman have moved closer to an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the critical waterway could be announced soon. The strait's closure has driven up global fuel prices. Regional officials tell the AP that Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized a draft deal to reopen the strait, pending approval from Iran’s supreme leader. Meanwhile, new tensions have emerged in Lebanon as the Israeli military issued the first evacuation warning in weeks for some residents in the south.
Man arrested at Trump's California golf course faces illegal weapons charges
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California man who was arrested at President Donald Trump’s Los Angeles-area golf course was pretending to be part of the security detail preparing for Trump’s visit and had a stash of illegal weapons in his car and home. Taele's initial appearance in downtown Los Angeles federal court Wednesday was cancelled. He is not yet in federal custody. Authorities say Jeanine John Taele appeared to be monitoring security before the president's visit there. Law enforcement officials say they seized guns and ammunition from Taele's home after he was arrested Sunday at Trump National Golf Club. Trump attended a Republican National Committee fundraiser at the club on Tuesday. Taele faces both state and federal charges.
State of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe
CEDAR CREST, N.M. (AP) — The state of New Mexico has sued the Department of Justice and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, saying the federal government has blocked it from carrying out its own investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. The lawsuit said the Justice Department and Blanche had actively harmed victims and undermined public interest by withholding information from state investigators. It said New Mexico was one of the few jurisdictions that could still bring criminal charges related to Epstein's crimes. The Justice Department said it was withholding some information from New Mexico to protect victims' privacy and conform with court rulings about evidence.
Senate confirms Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director, bringing new leadership to troubled agency
NEW YORK (AP) — Dr. Erica Schwartz has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 54-year-old Schwartz becomes the 22nd leader of the Atlanta-based CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard. The CDC has been in turmoil since President Donald Trump returned to office last year. Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce.
No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeanine Pirro this week found out there’s a trade-off between loyalty to President Donald Trump and being loyal to reality. The top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital has been a fierce defender and decades-long friend to Trump. But she openly refuted his claims the damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was due to vandalism, rather than shoddy workmanship. The moment comes as Trump is struggling to convince Americans that they should believe what’s he’s telling them on the economy, his agenda and his war on Iran. Trump has rebuked Pirro, and has been noncommittal about her future in his administration.
Firefighters get a handle on Spokane wildfires as tens of thousands remain evacuated
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Crews have taken advantage of cooler weather to begin getting a handle on wildfires that have displaced tens of thousands of people around Washington state’s second-largest city, but hotter, drier and windier days lie ahead. Officials reported Wednesday that firefighters had established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires and that they were focused on reinforcing those lines. Authorities say one of the fires was deliberately set by a man who has been arrested and charged with arson. Together the three have destroyed at least about 850 buildings and forced the evacuation of around 67,000 people since they erupted last weekend.
US stocks hold near records on hopes of an agreement with Iran
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks held close to their records on Wall Street, while oil prices were relatively steady. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% Wednesday from the all-time high it set a day earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.8%. SpaceX sank after increasing its spending on artificial intelligence. The Walt Disney Co. rose after reporting results that beat analysts’ forecasts, helped by “Toy Story 5.” European markets were mixed. Treasury yields slipped in the bond market. The price of Brent crude was little changed at about $79 a barrel.
Gianni Infantino gets internal support at crisis meeting to remain as FIFA president
FIFA says it has apologized for errors made over Gianni Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and that senior staff in attendance at a summit held in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency. World soccer’s governing body attempted to present a unified front amid the turbulence caused by Infantino’s controversial plans, with calls for him to step down. In a statement FIFA said secretary-general Mattias Grafström and members of the management board in attendance at the meeting had given their support to the embattled president.
Ariana Grande’s new video sets off talk about body and beauty standards — again
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s a hallmark of our increasingly connected world — there’s seemingly always something to say, an opinion or feeling or critique to express. But just because we can say anything, does that mean we should? It’s come up most recently in the wake of a new music video from singer Ariana Grande and the release last week of her new album, “Petal.” The video spurred rampant commentary — and not primarily about the images of a blood-spattered Grande holding a chainsaw, but about her overall extremely thin appearance. That, in turn, spurred even more commentary.
