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Virginia Senate race to battle top intel Dem takes shape after redistricting delays

August 4, 2026 7:35pm EDT / Fox News

Investment banker Mark Moran is also running as an independent after a high-profile Kalshi prediction market controversy

By Alex Miller, Fox News

WATCH: Warner blasts Virginia court ruling as ‘outrageous’ as Kaine urges Dems to ‘go win’

Virginia’s two Democratic senators reacted after a court blocked a congressional map, with Warner blasting the decision and Kaine urging candidates to move forward. (Credit: Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital)

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After months of delay, the race for Virginia’s Senate seat is now set, with a Republican contender emerging to enter a three-way fight in the quest to oust longtime Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

Bert Mizusawa clinched the Republican nomination for Senate in The Old Dominion against two other hopefuls eyeing Warner’s seat, and a chance for power in a state that hasn’t sent a Republican to the upper chamber in more than two decades.

Warner is a formidable opponent, having won his last election by roughly 12 points and commanding a position of power on the Senate Intelligence Committee. It’s also a race that is not on the national Republican map for flip opportunities.

MORNING GLORY: REPUBLICANS, STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER. WE CAN’T LET DEMOCRATS SEIZE THE SENATE

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., speaks at a hearing in Washington in 2025.(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

None of the three Republican hopefuls have held public office before, but have made their careers working in government, the intelligence community or serving in the military.

Mizusawa, a former Major General in the military, has forayed into politics before, launching unsuccessful bids for the House and Senate over the last 16 years.

DEMS REJECT TRUMP’S TOP SPY PICK AFTER DEMANDING REPLACEMENT, LEAVING COUNTER-TERROR TOOL IN AIR

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He was tapped by President Donald Trump to serve as his foreign policy advisor and later acted as director of national security policy for his transition team in 2016. Trump then tapped him to serve in the Central Intelligence Agency as a senior advisor for national security technology and business integration.

His primary focuses, if elected, are tackling the nation’s debt, affordability and to be a “pro-military Senator,” according to his campaign website.

SUPREME COURT DEALS BLOW TO VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS IN FIGHT OVER STATE COURT ELECTION MAP RULING

Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S.-based prediction market exchange that allows users to trade on the outcomes of political, economic and other real-world events.(Laura Brett/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Mizusawa isn’t alone in the bid to unseat Warner, who is running for a fourth term in the upper chamber.

Investment banker and former reality TV contestant Mark Moran is running a third-party independent campaign after opting to dump his initial push against Warner as a Democrat.

Moran made headlines earlier this year when he revealed that he wanted to get caught by the prediction market platform Kalshi for betting on himself in his campaign. Moran was fined over $6,000 after refusing to strike a deal with Kalshi.

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He told Fox News Digital at the time that his decision to bet on himself was effectively free marketing for his campaign.

“I know that they’re going to come after me when I place a bet on myself. So I do that knowing that for the low price of about $100, I can get more attention on me, as evidenced by your calling me, than anything else that I could do with my ideas as a politician,” Moran said.

“Because we don’t live in a constitutional republic where ideas can win. We live in one owned by the donor class,” he continued.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

Alarming missile report draws forceful response from Trump as Iran war tests America’s arsenal

August 4, 2026 4:03pm EDT / Fox News

Officials fear the drawdown could complicate the US military’s ability to respond to crises with China and Russia

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

‘The Big Weekend Show’ co-host Joey Jones breaks down a reported deficit in U.S. munition stockpiles amid the Iran war.

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The Trump administration is rejecting concerns that the war with Iran has left the U.S. low on some of its most advanced long-range missiles, after a report found the Army burned through “virtually all” of its stocks of two of its primary long-range precision weapons.

The Army has used “virtually all” of its inventories of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) during the five-month conflict with Iran, Reuters, citing people familiar with internal U.S. military data, reported Tuesday. Officials fear the drawdown could complicate the military’s ability to respond to future crises involving adversaries such as China and Russia, according to the report.

The White House disputed any suggestion the U.S. military lacks the weapons needed to carry out its missions.

U.S. Soldiers and civilians observe a MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems during a static-display demonstration Aug. 15, 2019, at Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany. (U.S. Army photo by Charles Rosemond)

WEAPONS STOCKPILE SHORTAGES IMPACTING MILITARY STRATEGY IN THE MIDEAST

“We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need, despite the fact that an unprecedented amount was given away by Crooked Joe Biden and the Biden Administration to Ukraine and Europe at no cost, in one of many of their extremely dumb moves,” President Donald Trump said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels. And as we build up, we will start issuing more to our allies in Europe and elsewhere.”

If accurate, the report underscores a longstanding Pentagon concern: America’s most sophisticated precision weapons can be expended in months but often take years to replace.

Reuters also reported that the conflict significantly reduced inventories of Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors, along with Tomahawk cruise missiles, though the Pentagon has maintained the U.S. military retains the capabilities needed to carry out operations worldwide.

HEGSETH DISMISSES ‘FOOLISH’ US STOCKPILE CONCERNS AS IRAN CONFLICT TESTS MUNITIONS

Exact U.S. weapons stockpile figures remain classified for national security reasons.

The Pentagon also pushed back on the reporting. “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests,” chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

Independent analysts have also warned that months of combat have strained U.S. inventories of high-end munitions. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated last week that the U.S. had expended roughly 65% of its Patriot interceptor stockpile and that inventories of THAAD interceptors had fallen by at least 38% since the start of the Iran conflict, based on open-source analysis and budget data. Reuters reported Tuesday that its sources said those figures broadly aligned with internal U.S. data.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance fires a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile in support of Operation Epic Fury, at an undisclosed location, February 28, 2026.(U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters)

ATACMS and the newer Precision Strike Missile are among the Army’s premier long-range precision strike weapons, capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away without putting pilots in harm’s way.

ARMY CUTS HELICOPTERS, PUSHES ‘AMAZON FOR WAR’ AS DRONE COMBAT RESHAPES MILITARY

Military planners consider them particularly valuable against heavily defended adversaries because they can destroy command posts, air defenses, logistics hubs and other high-value targets from beyond many enemy air-defense systems.

Patriot and THAAD serve a different mission. Rather than striking enemy targets, they defend U.S. forces and allies by intercepting incoming ballistic missiles, while Tomahawk cruise missiles allow the Navy to conduct long-range strikes from ships and submarines.

The report comes as Pentagon leaders have increasingly warned about the challenge of sustaining prolonged, high-intensity conflicts against major powers while replenishing advanced weapons consumed in combat.

That concern has accelerated efforts to pair expensive precision missiles with far larger numbers of lower-cost, “attritable” drones and autonomous systems that can be produced rapidly and fielded at scale. Officials argue the approach would allow commanders to reserve million-dollar precision weapons for the highest-value targets while relying on less expensive systems for surveillance, electronic warfare and many strike missions.

Military leaders caution, however, that inexpensive drones are not a replacement for long-range precision missiles such as ATACMS and PrSM. Those weapons remain essential for striking hardened command centers, air-defense batteries and other heavily defended targets at distances many lower-cost drones cannot yet reach or survive.

ISRAEL – APRIL 12: In this photograph provided by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), a Patriot missile is fired from a desert launch site April 12, 2005, in southern Israel. The launch took place during the annual joint Israeli army and United States Juniper Cobra air defense military exercise.(Photo by IDF via Getty Images)

Trump has met repeatedly with executives from the nation’s largest defense contractors, pressing them to accelerate production and expand manufacturing capacity as conflicts in Iran and Ukraine strain U.S. stockpiles.

Following a White House meeting in March, Trump said the companies had agreed to quadruple production of what he called “Exquisite Class Weaponry,” including some of the military’s most advanced missile systems. At a second meeting in June and again at a defense summit in July, the president urged industry leaders to move faster, telling executives, “We have the best quality in the world, but we need a little more speed.”

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The production push is also reflected in the administration’s budget priorities. Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget would more than triple spending on drones and autonomous systems while boosting investment in munitions production, missile defense and Tomahawk cruise missile procurement.

SpaceX shows strong growth in its first earnings report since going public

August 4, 2026 / 6:08 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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SpaceX on Tuesday reported booming revenue and shrinking losses in its first quarterly earnings report as a publicly traded company, offering a window into its performance after executing the biggest ever initial public offering in June.

Elon Musk’s rocket, satellite and AI provider reported second-quarter revenue of $7.8 billion and a net loss of $541 million, improving on a loss of $1 billion in the year-ago period. Analysts had forecast revenue of $6.8 billion for the quarter, according to FactSet.

“All three of the main business units reported revenue ahead of the consensus, including Space, Connectivity and AI,” market analyst Adam Crisafulli, head of Vital Knowledge, said in a research note.

Analysts were closely watching subscriber growth for Starlink, given that the satellite division is the company’s largest revenue segment. Total revenues in the connectivity unit were $4.3 billion for the quarter, surpassing FactSet analysts’ estimate of $3.8 billion as Starlink’s subscribers doubled to 12 million, from 6 million in the year-ago quarter.

Musk touted Starlink’s rapid growth in a call with Wall Street analysts to discuss SpaceX’s financial results.

“It’s not out of the question that at some point, Starlink will deliver the majority of the world’s internet,” he said.

The company’s Starship division reported $962 million in revenue for the quarter, while its AI unit booked $2.6 billion.

Musk said during the call that SpaceX expects to deliver “well over 1 million tons to orbit per year,” while noting the figure could eventually rise to 10 million tons.

“And this is a big number by normal standards,” he said. “The rest of the world, I think, delivers around 300 tons.”

SpaceX’s IPO made Musk, the company’s founder and CEO, into the world’s first trillionaire on paper.

SpaceX shares could use a boost

SpaceX shares have slumped since the company’s blockbuster IPO, with the stock losing almost 50% of its value after hitting an intraday high of $225.64 on June 16.

Despite its rapid revenue growth, investors appeared unconvinced by SpaceX’s maiden quarterly readout, with the stock sinking 7% to $116.40 in after-hours trading, below the IPO offer price of $135 per share.

“I don’t think people want to hear promises about the next five years or a mission to Mars,” Emarketer Senior Analyst Gadjo Sevilla told AFP. “Everyone knows that will take time. They want to see how the value can be turned around as quickly as possible.”

Wall Street analysts and retail investors were looking to the quarterly earnings report for clues on whether SpaceX can deliver on Musk’s vision for the company, which includes putting solar-powered data centers in space and eventually sending spaceships to Mars.

“In many ways, SpaceX presents a track record of building toward solutions which many industry experts had previously viewed to be implausible,” noted Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan in a July research report.

The company booked $18.7 billion in revenue last year, but reported a net loss of more than $4.9 billion, according to a regulatory filing.

SpaceX, which launched its 13th Starship rocket in late July, is targeting a landing on the moon in 2028. For now, however, no Starship has been put into Earth orbit.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Family of man who died in ICE detention in New Jersey alleges medical negligence in custody

2026-08-04 / Reuters

By Kanishka Singh

August 4, 2026 10:29 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

Item 1 of 2 The daughter of Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, who died on Saturday while in ICE custody, is consoled by family members during a press conference in Highland Park, New Jersey, U.S., August 4, 2026. REUTERS/Ryan Murphy

[1/2]The daughter of Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, who died on Saturday while in ICE custody, is consoled by family members during a press conference in Highland Park, New Jersey, U.S., August 4, 2026. REUTERS/Ryan Murphy Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• ICE has been the face of Trump’s immigration crackdown
• Rights advocates have complained about ICE detention conditions
• ICE says it takes seriously the safety and health of detainees
• Over 50 ICE detention deaths reported since Trump took ​office

WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) – The family of a man from El Salvador, who died in ‌a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in New Jersey, alleged medical negligence during his custody and demanded an independent investigation into his death.

ICE said on Monday that Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, who was being held at the Delaney Hall detention facility, ​was pronounced dead on Saturday by medical personnel at University Hospital, in Newark, New Jersey, after ​suffering what the agency described as a medical emergency.

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Speaking at a press conference on ⁠Tuesday, Lopez-Cornejo’s family said he suffered from a number of underlying health conditions including high blood pressure, ​diabetes and epilepsy, and relied on several medications to keep those conditions under control.

His mother, Maria Cornejo, said he ​called a day before his death and told her he lost feeling in half his face and arm.

“My son needed medical attention, and he did not receive it,” his mother said in Spanish. His 12-year-old daughter also alleged he was denied ​medications and that he had lost a lot of weight in custody.

Lopez-Cornejo’s death comes amid broader scrutiny of ​conditions in U.S. immigration detention facilities. More than 50 people have died in ICE custody nationwide since President Donald Trump ‌took office ⁠in January last year, while rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns about medical care and living conditions at the facilities.

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ICE said Lopez-Cornejo received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals.

“When Lopez-Cornejo experienced a medical emergency while in ICE custody, GEO facility staff and medical staff responded immediately and called 911 for emergency medical ​services. The official cause of ​death remains pending further ⁠medical examination,” ICE said in a statement on Monday.

The agency reiterated that statement when asked for comment on the remarks by Lopez-Cornejo’s family.

INSPECTION

While the family demanded an ​independent investigation into the death, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said her administration ​continues to “face ⁠obstruction in our efforts to conduct a full health inspection of the facility.”

ICE has dismissed reports of poor conditions and maintained that it takes seriously the safety and health of detainees.

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ICE has been at the center of Trump’s immigration ⁠crackdown and deportation ​drive that rights groups condemn as violating free speech and ​due process rights.

Human rights advocates also say the crackdown has created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities who have raised concerns about racial ​profiling.

Trump says his actions aim to improve domestic security.

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Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani

Trump’s White House helipad being partially disassembled, images show

2026-08-04T22:19:18.120Z / CNN

By Betsy Klein

PUBLISHED Aug 4, 2026, 6:19 PM ET

Construction of a helipad at the White House, as seen from a window at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

Eric Lee/Reuters

President Donald Trump’s helipad project on the White House South Lawn appears to be undergoing changes that have resulted in some of the work being reversed.

The White House has never had a helipad, but a new model of helicopter used for presidential transport, the VH-92A Patriot, scorched the lawn in test runs, requiring a solution for the routine Marine One touchdowns. Construction on the new landing zone, which Trump has said would be made of “carved granite,” began shortly after the conclusion of his backyard UFC fight in June.

But in recent days, some of the construction has been visibly reversed.

Last week, images showed workers affixing letters spelling out “Seal of the President of the United States” around the circular, 100-foot-wide landing pad. But in images from this week, workers are seen disassembling the letters. And by Tuesday, they had been fully removed.

Asked about the changes — and whether they were cosmetic or operational — the White House declined to give details. “We continue to make improvements and adjust accordingly as part of the ongoing project to best match the needs of the White House,” an official said.

The Washington Post first reported the changes to the helipad construction.

Trump has previously said the project would be fully paid for by Lockheed Martin, which owns Sikorsky Aircraft, the manufacturer of the new helicopters. But it’s not clear how the changes could affect the cost — which Trump previously said would be a “$5 million or $6 million” project — and whether Lockheed Martin would shoulder any additional burden.

Lockheed Martin declined to comment, referring inquires to the White House.

Trump, a former real estate developer, has been personally involved in the helipad project, marking one of more than a dozen efforts he’s overseen to reshape infrastructure around the White House and Washington, DC, more broadly.

Construction on the White House helipad on July 30.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Construction on the White House helipad on August 1.

mpi34/MediaPunch/IPx/AP

Many of those proposed projects, including his 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House, a major renovation of the Kennedy Center and the construction of a new triumphal arch atop a traffic circle, have been bogged down with legal challenges. And 58% of Americans said they feel dissatisfied or angry about the construction projections Trump has undertaken in DC, according to CNN polling released last week.

Meanwhile, the president’s own Justice Department recently described the administration’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as a “botched” job to the tune of more than $14 million.

For Trump, sources say construction isn’t just a side project; it’s the foundation of his legacy. The president involves himself with meticulous design details — to an extent that has surprised sources who have met with him about his construction projects.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle heralded the unfinished helipad project as a symbol of Trump’s leadership.

“For years, the White House has desperately needed a proper Helipad on White House grounds that will allow the President to land safely and also protect the beautiful South Lawn grass from the fierce exhaust fumes of the incredible Marine One,” Ingle said in a statement on Tuesday.

He continued: “Thanks to President Trump, the White House has never looked better, and it will only continue to get better under his leadership.”

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

Chipotle pulls jalapenos in Minnesota salmonella outbreak after dozens fall ill

August 4, 2026 / 7:52 PM EDT / CBS News

By Aimee Picchi, Aki Nace

Chipotle on Tuesday said it has pulled jalapenos linked to a salmonella outbreak in Minnesota from its restaurants, adding that it has replaced the peppers with product from another grower.

In a statement, the restaurant chain said it made the decision amid a public health investigation into the outbreak, which Chipotle said had impacted “several food service retailers in Minnesota.”

The Minnesota Department of Health said it has identified 110 cases linked to the salmonella outbreak. Of the 84 Minnesotans interviewed as part of the investigation, 75 reported eating at Chipotle. The agency said the customers ate at the restaurant between June 14 and July 14, with most eating there between June 24 and July 2.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively removed the jalapenos from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers,” Chipotle said. “The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed it has no ongoing concerns with Chipotle. We are cooperating with public health authorities in their efforts.”

FDA examining “multiple ingredients”

The Food and Drug Administration said it initiated a traceback investigation on July 22 of “multiple ingredients” in response to a cluster of salmonella cases identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state officials.

“At the same time, Chipotle, in coordination with state partners, proactively began reviewing its supply chain. FDA appreciates the company’s cooperation with the investigation and will provide additional information if and when there is an actionable public health update,” the FDA said.

Shares of Chipotle slid $3.28, or 8.8%, to $34.18 on Tuesday afternoon.

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The stock decline comes as consumers remain sensitive to food safety issues following the weekslong cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people nationwide. Although salmonella and cyclospora are different pathogens, recent outbreaks have weighed on demand for some fresh produce and restaurant chains associated with those foods.

Outbreak to spread?

“Given the measures Chipotle put in place, we are not concerned about Chipotle. But it is possible that the outbreak is ongoing if the contaminated food item is being served elsewhere,” said Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Health. “We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance.”

Following the cyclospora outbreak, grocers and restaurant chains featuring lettuce-heavy menus have experienced a drop-off in visits. Visits to Taco Bell, which had served lettuce under recall due to the cyclospora outbreak, saw its foot traffic drop by 30% in mid-July, according to data provided to CBS News from retail analytics platform Placer.ai.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours after exposure, according to the Mayo Clinic, which said most healthy people recover within days to a week without treatment.

El-Sayed pals around with far-left streamer Hasan Piker the day before crucial Michigan Senate election

2026-08-04T16:54:47-04:00 / Fox News

The progressive Senate candidate has faced criticism for not distancing himself from the controversial streamer

By Andrew Mark Miller, Paul Steinhauser, Kiera McDonald, Luke Trevisan Fox News

Published August 4, 2026 4:54pm EDT

Haley Stevens urges rival to ‘distance himself’ from Hasan Piker

Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., told Fox News Abdul El-Sayed should ‘distance himself’ from Hasan Piker as voters headed to the polls for Tuesday’s Michigan Democratic Senate primary.

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Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed spent the night before Election Day at a pool party with far-left streamer Hasan Piker, sparking pushback from both his primary opponent and his Republican opposition.

The event was hosted by a content creator in Detroit, Michigan, and was attended by progressive House candidates Melat Kiros and Chris Rabb, both members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), The Associated Press reported.

Michigan Democratic state Rep. Donavan McKinney was also reportedly in attendance.

HASAN PIKER’S DEFENSE OF HAMAS HAVING ‘RIGHT TO RESIST MILITARILY’ DRAWS CONDEMNATION FROM HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS

Piker, who has roughly 10 million followers across multiple social media platforms, has made multiple appearances on the campaign trail with El-Sayed, raising questions about the ideological similarities between the two.

Last month, Piker drew backlash after addressing a group of college students while wearing an outfit resembling that of former communist dictator Mao Zedong.

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“I never would and never will criticize Mao Zedong,” Piker said earlier this year in a clip that recently resurfaced on social media. “One of the great leaders of this world.”

Piker has also said in the past that “America deserved 9/11” and has made controversial comments about Hamas and the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

While El-Sayed has said he doesn’t agree with all of Piker’s positions, he has faced criticism for not distancing himself from the controversial streamer.

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, films a social media video at a pool party for content creators supporting his campaign Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., running against El-Sayed in Tuesday night’s Senate primary, was asked about the relationship between El-Sayed and Piker in a press gaggle hours before polls closed.

“I don’t believe Mr. Piker lives here in our state. I do think his rhetoric should be denounced. I do think that my opponent should distance himself from him. I don’t know what they were doing last night at this pool party that was going on, but I was with Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and Debbie Stabenow,” Stevens told Fox News.

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, center left, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker, center right, at a party for content creators supporting his campaign Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Referring to Piker, Stevens said, “Some of this stuff makes people uncomfortable. Frankly, it makes me uncomfortable. You know, we don’t need these demagogues or people citing allegiance to Mao coming into Michigan.”

And pointing to El-Sayed, Stevens added, “Maybe instead of being with Mr. Piker, you know, if he ends up winning the nomination, maybe he’ll come with me and hear from some of the small businesses who don’t want this extreme politics coming into our state.”

ABDUL EL-SAYED SAYS RALLYING WITH HASAN PIKER DOESN’T MEAN HE ENDORSES ‘AMERICA DESERVED 9/11’ REMARK

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“Instead of spending his final hours campaigning with Michiganders, Abdul El-Sayed spent it poolside with an antisemite and terrorist sympathizer who believes America deserved 9/11,” NRSC regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell told Fox News Digital in a statement Tuesday.

The campaign of presumptive GOP nominee Mike Rogers also weighed in as voters headed to the polls Tuesday.

Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“We’re getting ready to prosecute the case against Abdul, but it looks like he’s already giving us a head start,” Alyssa Brouillet, Rogers’ campaign communications director, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This is giving fraud, not serious. And Michiganders are battling serious issues they need a senator to deal with — not someone who dances around with LA and NYC influencers who think ‘America deserved 9/11.’”

Hours before the pool party, Piker was at a campaign event with El-Sayed where a reporter asked him if he plans to campaign with the progressive Senate candidate after Tuesday night’s primary.

JAMES CARVILLE VOWS TO ABANDON DEMOCRATIC PARTY IF FAR-LEFT HASAN PIKER BECOMES LEADING VOICE

Streamer Hasan Piker attends a pool party for content creators supporting Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

“Are you crazy?” Piker responded. “Of course.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the El-Sayed campaign and Piker’s team for comment.

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El-Sayed squares off against Stevens in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night, where polls close at 8 p.m. El-Sayed, according to recent polling, is expected to advance to the general election in November to face Rogers in a race that could determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

The El-Sayed campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

Trump admin revokes visa of Brazilian ambassador to US

2026-08-04T21:07:32.175Z / CNN

By Jennifer Hansler

Updated 2 hr ago
Updated Aug 4, 2026, 6:00 PM ET
PUBLISHED Aug 4, 2026, 5:07 PM ET

The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s Ambassador to the US Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti.

John Mcilwaine/United Nations/Sipa

The Trump administration has revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the US, escalating a rift between Washington and Brasilia.

The State Department did not declare Amb. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti to be “persona non-grata,” and a senior State Department official said the cancelation of her visa “is not the same thing as kicking the person out of the country.”

The official said the visa revocation is a “reciprocal action” to what they described as Brazil’s delay in granting diplomatic approval, known as agrément, to the US pick for ambassador to that country, Daniel Perez. They also noted the revocation “occurs in the context of several other diplomatic disputes that have developed over the last year or so,” including Brazil’s refusal to grant visas to US officials.

The official said Viotti’s visa would be immediately restored if agrément is given to Perez. It is unclear how the revocation will affect her standing as ambassador. Another senior State Department official said that if Viotti leaves the US, she would need to reapply for a visa.

CNN has reached out to the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Washington for comment.

The move comes ahead of Brazil’s October elections, which will see current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva face Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The younger Bolsonaro met with members of the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, earlier this year.

Lula said last month the Brazilian government refused to grant visas to two State Department officials because of concerns about election meddling.

The first senior State Department official said Tuesday that the officials were planning a “routine trip.”

“We respect the Brazilian people in whatever government that they choose freely through free and fair elections in Brazil,” they noted.

The official did not rule out further “reciprocal actions” but said, “This particular event is focused on the fact that we have a well-qualified ambassadorial nominee, and we think the government of Brazil owes us a prompt and positive answer to our request for agrément.”

Brazil has “put out signals” that they likely won’t give that approval until after their elections, the official said, which would prevent Perez from taking up his post even if he is confirmed by the US Senate.

The second official claimed they have “communicated continually with the Brazilian government for weeks and have given the Brazilian government every opportunity to do the right thing, yet they have continually delayed and obfuscated.”

“We reject any effort by foreign countries to interfere in our domestic processes,” they said.

Perez’s nomination was sent to the Senate on June 1 and it was voted out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in late July. Perez is the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and an ally of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Typically, agrément is sought before a nomination is put forward. It is unclear if this happened with Perez’s nomination.

Trump laid into Pirro in a tense White House meeting. But their long history might save her job

2026-08-04T20:41:36.103Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/04/politics/trump-jeanine-pirro-reflecting-pool

President Donald Trump laid into US Attorney Jeanine Pirro at a White House meeting Monday evening over a court filing that blamed the Reflecting Pool damage on shoddy workmanship rather than vandalism, according to two people familiar with the intense discussion.

The seemingly botched Reflecting Pool renovation and subsequent vandalism charges have created a deep divide between Pirro and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who was also at the meeting, according to people familiar with the dynamic. While Trump has privately lambasted Pirro, he stopped short of firing her or asking for her resignation on Monday, sources told CNN.

The DC US Attorney’s Office late last week decided to drop the case that accused an ex-Olympian of ripping up some of the pool lining, with Pirro’s prosecutors saying in court they believed they had been misled by the Interior Department until recent days, when Burgum’s staff finally turned over records showing the pool had significant damage long before Olympic canoeist David Hearn visited the pool, according to court records.

Privately, Pirro has blasted Burgum’s staff to senior aides in the West Wing, and put the blame squarely on Interior for failing to arm her with the evidence — before she presented the case — that exposed the case wasn’t prosecutable, according to the people familiar with the matter. Pirro arrived at the White House with boxes of evidence to back up her claims that the damage at the reflecting pool was caused by shoddy workmanship, not vandalism, according to another person with knowledge of the meeting.

Pirro herself made the call to drop the case and also preemptively discussed her plans to dismiss it with officials in both the Justice Department and the White House, people familiar with the inner workings of the US Attorney’s Office told CNN.Her office declined to comment.

The decision put the Interior Department on the defensive and irritated Burgum and his team, who believed that explicitly blaming the department in the legal filing was unnecessarily antagonistic, one of the people familiar with dynamic said. They have also questioned why Pirro did not first seek to address her concerns in private, arguing she instead chose to blindside Trump and other top officials by publicly airing the case’s shortcomings.

That person added that the president has been increasingly sensitive to any criticism around the Reflecting Pool, given his personal investment in a project that he views partly as a referendum on his own skill as a developer.

The White House and Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump’s frustration towards Pirro was palpable Monday night during the meeting, where Trump yelled at Pirro and “read her the riot act,” according to two sources briefed on the meeting. While White House officials said that Pirro was still on thin ice, multiple sources familiar with the relationship said they believe Pirro is safe, for now, citing her years-long relationship with Trump.

“It would be hard for him to fire her. He likes her and he’s not the same impulsive guy he was during the first term,” one of the sources said, while still noting that “anything can happen.”

Since becoming DC’s US Attorney 15 months ago, Pirro has been forced onto a tightrope as Trump has used law enforcement in DC to set the political tone of his administration.

During her tenure, Trump surged federal law enforcement into the nation’s capital city, prompting Pirro’s office to field exponentially more criminal cases in court. His Justice Department leadership also fired many experienced prosecutors in the US Attorney’s Office because they had worked on January 6 Capitol riot cases or previous Trump prosecutions.

Grand juries and trial juries also have regularly rejected prosecutors’ arguments in DC’s federal court — an apparent referendum on the Trump administration’s approach.

“There has been a significant strain on both the manpower and the morale of the criminal division. You’ve seen that play out right now. That these cases are being brought and they’re falling apart,” said Kevin Owen, an attorney who represents several former DC-based federal prosecutors who were fired early in this Trump administration.

Still, Pirro has steadied parts of her US Attorney’s Office, including the DC Superior Court section of prosecutors, which handled the Reflecting Pool cases. At times, she has helped her career prosecutors in high-profile cases by calling acting Attorney General Todd Blanche directly to gain support for their investigative work, one source said.

In the Reflecting Pool case, Pirro has backed the long-time career prosecutor who signed the filing to dismiss the case against the Olympian.

Five sources familiar with the office say she and others there respect the prosecutor, Michael Spence, a former homicide prosecutor who now leads the part of the office responsible for DC Superior Court — or local, criminal cases.

Within the US Attorney’s Office, the case was initially seen as one prosecutors could legally pursue because of the record Pirro’s office had of testimony from Park Police regarding the Reflecting Pool damage. Prosecutors debated — before charges were filed — whether the case should be in federal or Superior Court, some of the sources said.

Ultimately, the case received a Superior Court grand jury’s approval just before Independence Day, and had been moving through court quickly. On July 17, Pirro visited the then-drained Reflecting Pool with others. After that visit, prosecutors began demanding more information from the Interior Department, court records say.

Trump and Pirro, both New Yorkers, have known each other for decades. Pirro was staunchly behind Trump while she was previously a host at Fox News and, notably, after the 2020 election when she repeated his debunked claims that the election was stolen from him.

Several times, Pirro has shocked the legal community with her attempts to appease Trump. She has detailed some close staffers to work on the highly political cases that are Trump priorities, largely walling them off from the rest of the US Attorney’s Office.

Over the past year, Pirro has attempted unsuccessfully to indict sitting members of Congress for a video they taped that courts have found was First Amendment-protected speech. She also has tried to investigate former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and criticized the chief judge of the DC District Court for shutting down a related subpoena.

Yet career prosecutors in her office have said they appreciate her aggressive approach to prosecuting violent crime and her legal chops as a former district attorney in New York state. And she continues to meet with judges privately — it’s common practice for US Attorneys to maintain a relationship with the bench — in both the DC Superior Court and DC’s federal District Court, sources say.

CNN’s Alayna Treene contributed to this report.

美国拟设多晶硅设价格下限并加征关税 抗衡中国太阳能和晶片产业

2026年8月5日 07:33 / 联合早报

路透社引述四名知情人士报道，特朗普政府正准备对多晶硅及相关产品设定价格下限并征收关税，使这种对太阳能电池板和半导体至关重要的材料，成为美国在人工智能（AI）和能源领域与中国竞争的核心。

这项预计将于本月晚些时候公布的决定，旨在保护赫姆洛克半导体（Hemlock Semiconductor）和瓦克化学（Wacker Chemie）在美国的多晶硅工厂，以应对中国不断扩大在晶片供应链的布局。

在美国总统特朗普削减联邦政府对可再生能源支持之际，由美国商务部针对多晶硅展开的长达一年的国家安全调查，也对美国日益发展的本土太阳能制造业具有重大影响。

熟悉内部讨论的知情人士透露，路透社首次披露了依据1962年《贸易扩展法》第232条展开调查的结论，其中包括特朗普政府计划采取一种结合最低进口价格与针对多晶硅及其衍生产品关税的混合机制。

无党派智库“保卫民主基金会”高级研究员辛格尔顿说：“中国凭借补贴和长期存在的产能过剩，确立了在多晶硅领域的主导地位，并将价格压低至不可持续的水平，削弱了竞争对手。”

他补充说，设定价格下限并辅以关税，或许能为美国生产商提供生存空间，但相关政策须要精心设计，以确保在美国本土硅片和电池产能赶上之前，仍能获得可靠的上游投入品供应。

中国驻美国大使馆批评了这项贸易调查。

中国驻美国大使馆发言人称，中国敦促美国尽快停止依据《贸易扩展法》第232条采取的关税措施，并通过平等对话妥善解决各方关切。

多晶硅是一种超高纯度的硅，位于半导体制造和太阳能制造供应链的起点。制造商将硅片加工成太阳能电池，再将太阳能电池组装成用于太阳能项目的光伏组件。

本土半导体制造业是特朗普政府的优先事项，而该产业依赖太阳能产业，因为后者对多晶硅的巨大需求，有助于支撑晶片制造所需多晶硅的生产。据半导体行业协会数据，晶片行业占全球多晶硅需求的2.4%。