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尼泊尔洪灾暴露高山预警不足 跨境数据共享面临挑战

2026年8月31日 23:02 / 联合早报

尼泊尔民众在首都加德满都的特里布万大学附属医院，查看在特大洪灾中失踪人员的照片。 （法新社）

（加德满都综合电）尼泊尔特大洪灾导致的死亡人数已超过900人，失踪者激增至近4000人。尼泊尔当局说，山区上周发生的特大洪灾让人措手不及，这凸显了高海拔地区的气象监测以及同中国的数据共享不足，接下来改善早期预警系统是当务之急。

尼泊尔国家减灾与管理局首席执行官乌普雷蒂星期一（8月31日）接受彭博社采访时说，这么大的灾难来袭，人们却连五分钟的预警时间都没有，这暴露了喜马拉雅山区的一个危险盲点，即监测匮缺。因气候变化，冰川和山体边坡失稳的速度比当局能够建起监测系统的速度快。

他说：“由于缺乏跨境（天气和气候）数据共享机制，我们在高山地区没有气象站……这是我们面对的最大挑战之一。”

据路透社报道，今年5月27日，尼泊尔和中国官员曾在加德满都讨论如何加强合作，以监测和应对与洪水、天气变化和冰川相关的灾害风险。

尼泊尔官员说，会后中方并未提供有关冰川风险和水位的足够信息。他们担心，数据共享不足会削弱尼泊尔预测和应对重大灾害的能力。

当时有参加会议的尼泊尔政府水文学家帕拉朱利透露，中国官员在会议上称他们无权签署同意尼泊尔要求的协议，只提议双方进一步磋商。

对此，中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆星期一在例行记者会上答询时说，中尼双方在气象、水利、防灾减灾等领域一直保持良好合作。灾害发生后，中方和尼方就人员搜救、信息共享、防止次生灾害等保持顺畅沟通，持续向尼方提供气象、水文等资料、开展专业会商，提供了相关预警信息。

中国驻尼泊尔大使馆也说，5月的会议就促进跨境灾害信息共享取得了实质进展，两国就这个问题保持着密切联系。大使馆也驳斥一些尼泊尔网民对中方“未能提供充分预警”的指责，称中方一直分享相关信息，包括对上周灾难形成的堰塞湖的监测数据。

至今没有任何官员或专家把这场灾难归咎于中国或尼泊尔。华盛顿智库史汀生中心高级研究员洛德认为，跨境合作不足并非灾害发生的主因，但“这不能掩盖尼泊尔和中国之间缺乏完善机制的事实，两国交流非常有限”。

帕拉朱利说，尼泊尔接下来将参照它同印度的安排，向中国提出数据共享协议，以便能频繁获取降雨量和河流水位信息。尼泊尔寻求每10分钟获取一次数据，一旦有险情就可及时发出预警，拯救人命。

在山区里的灾难现场，搜救工作到星期一进入第六天。尼泊尔灾害管理部门报告，当地死亡人数已上升到至少939人，失踪者增至3925人；失踪者包括约590名来自39个国家的外国人，以及900多名受困于多个水电站项目的工人。

尼泊尔救援队在中国和印度专家的协助下，通过爆破和挖掘机等清除积水和淤泥，加紧搜救失联工人。尼泊尔军方说，大量瓦砾和淤泥堆积，要进入水电站隧道救人极其困难。他们已在两个隧道内寻获至少三具遗体。

截至星期一，尼泊尔灾区已有逾万人获救，包括至少323名外国人。

尼泊尔总理沙阿星期天深夜在社媒发文说，尼泊尔面临着的是一场让人无法想象且心碎的自然灾难。由于天气恶劣、地形险峻和持续存在风险，要全面统计伤亡、财产损失和基础设施毁坏极度艰难。

尼泊尔洪灾暴露高山预警不足 跨境数据共享面临挑战

2026年8月31日 23:02 / 联合早报

尼泊尔民众在首都加德满都的特里布万大学附属医院，查看在特大洪灾中失踪人员的照片。 （法新社）

（加德满都综合电）尼泊尔特大洪灾导致的死亡人数已超过900人，失踪者激增至近4000人。尼泊尔当局说，山区上周发生的特大洪灾让人措手不及，这凸显了高海拔地区的气象监测以及同中国的数据共享不足，接下来改善早期预警系统是当务之急。

尼泊尔国家减灾与管理局首席执行官乌普雷蒂星期一（8月31日）接受彭博社采访时说，这么大的灾难来袭，人们却连五分钟的预警时间都没有，这暴露了喜马拉雅山区的一个危险盲点，即监测匮缺。因气候变化，冰川和山体边坡失稳的速度比当局能够建起监测系统的速度快。

他说：“由于缺乏跨境（天气和气候）数据共享机制，我们在高山地区没有气象站……这是我们面对的最大挑战之一。”

据路透社报道，今年5月27日，尼泊尔和中国官员曾在加德满都讨论如何加强合作，以监测和应对与洪水、天气变化和冰川相关的灾害风险。

尼泊尔官员说，会后中方并未提供有关冰川风险和水位的足够信息。他们担心，数据共享不足会削弱尼泊尔预测和应对重大灾害的能力。

当时有参加会议的尼泊尔政府水文学家帕拉朱利透露，中国官员在会议上称他们无权签署同意尼泊尔要求的协议，只提议双方进一步磋商。

对此，中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆星期一在例行记者会上答询时说，中尼双方在气象、水利、防灾减灾等领域一直保持良好合作。灾害发生后，中方和尼方就人员搜救、信息共享、防止次生灾害等保持顺畅沟通，持续向尼方提供气象、水文等资料、开展专业会商，提供了相关预警信息。

中国驻尼泊尔大使馆也说，5月的会议就促进跨境灾害信息共享取得了实质进展，两国就这个问题保持着密切联系。大使馆也驳斥一些尼泊尔网民对中方“未能提供充分预警”的指责，称中方一直分享相关信息，包括对上周灾难形成的堰塞湖的监测数据。

至今没有任何官员或专家把这场灾难归咎于中国或尼泊尔。华盛顿智库史汀生中心高级研究员洛德认为，跨境合作不足并非灾害发生的主因，但“这不能掩盖尼泊尔和中国之间缺乏完善机制的事实，两国交流非常有限”。

帕拉朱利说，尼泊尔接下来将参照它同印度的安排，向中国提出数据共享协议，以便能频繁获取降雨量和河流水位信息。尼泊尔寻求每10分钟获取一次数据，一旦有险情就可及时发出预警，拯救人命。

在山区里的灾难现场，搜救工作到星期一进入第六天。尼泊尔灾害管理部门报告，当地死亡人数已上升到至少939人，失踪者增至3925人；失踪者包括约590名来自39个国家的外国人，以及900多名受困于多个水电站项目的工人。

尼泊尔救援队在中国和印度专家的协助下，通过爆破和挖掘机等清除积水和淤泥，加紧搜救失联工人。尼泊尔军方说，大量瓦砾和淤泥堆积，要进入水电站隧道救人极其困难。他们已在两个隧道内寻获至少三具遗体。

截至星期一，尼泊尔灾区已有逾万人获救，包括至少323名外国人。

尼泊尔总理沙阿星期天深夜在社媒发文说，尼泊尔面临着的是一场让人无法想象且心碎的自然灾难。由于天气恶劣、地形险峻和持续存在风险，要全面统计伤亡、财产损失和基础设施毁坏极度艰难。

Republicans ask Supreme Court to let them air TV ads for less

2026-08-31 11:20 AM ET / CNN

By John Fritze

40 min ago

PUBLISHED Aug 31, 2026, 11:20 AM ET

The US Supreme Court is pictured during sunset on August 7.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

Republican campaign groups – supported by the Trump administration – asked the Supreme Court on Monday to let them purchase television advertising at discounted rates, handing the nation’s highest court another emergency appeal that could influence the outcome of this year’s midterm elections.

The quick-turn appeal follows a series of high-profile decisions from the 6-3 conservative court that have largely benefited Republicans. A separate case dealing with President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order on mail ballots is also expected to rocket back to the justices in the coming days.

The latest case involves television advertising, often the most expensive part of a congressional campaign. Candidates benefit from a federal law that requires broadcasters to charge them deeply discounted ad rates. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission said that political parties and other entities are also entitled to the lower rates.

The FCC decision was widely seen as benefiting the Republican Party, which generally tends to raise more money through the party committees. Democrats, by contrast, generally raise more money directly through their candidates.

The House and Senate Republican party committees told the Supreme Court on Monday that they had “budgeted tens of millions of dollars in ad buys under these rules.” But, because of the appeals court decision, “broadcast stations are already rescinding those rates.”

The Republican committees argued in their filing that federal courts lack jurisdiction to decide the case because the FCC’s “interpretive guidance” was “neither agency action, nor final.”

They have asked the court to act by Friday.

The Trump administration, which is eager to keep Republican control of Congress, submitted a brief shortly after the appeal was filed supporting the GOP groups. The Justice Department argued that the FCC guidance doesn’t harm the Democratic candidates who sued because the rule is applied universally to all candidates and groups.

“The notice does not grant favored treatment to one side or the other; instead, the notice’s interpretation offers the same benefit to all sides, including the challengers themselves and the committees and parties supporting them,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer, the administration’s top appellate attorney, told the Supreme Court.

A divided three-judge panel of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that federal law provides the lower rate only for candidates.

“The term ‘candidate’ means ‘candidate,’” wrote US Circuit Judge Robert King, who was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton.

US Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, a long-serving conservative appointed by President Ronald Reagan, dissented. He argued that collaboration between candidates and parties has a rich tradition in the United States and described the 4th Circuit’s decision as an “assault” on that tradition.

“Congress cannot dangle lower rates for some candidate speech as a means of penalizing other candidate speech,” he wrote.

Four Democratic candidates sued over the FCC’s decision: Rep. Kristen McDonald of Michigan, former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, and former Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina. The campaign arm for House and Senate Republicans intervened to defend the FCC’s decision.

The Supreme Court in late June rolled back longstanding limits on how much political parties may coordinate with federal candidates. Since the 1970s, political party committees were capped at how much money they may spend in coordination with a campaign. That pushed a flood of campaign money toward super PACs, which have no spending limits, but are unable to run their advertising and other messages past candidates they want to help.

In a 6-3 decision decided along ideological lines, the court ruled that those caps violated the First Amendment. That decision was a victory for Republicans principally because of the ad rate issue.

The Supreme Court is likely to act on the emergency appeal in coming weeks.

Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s deleted tweets on Sept. 11 attacks invite scrutiny of past remarks

August 31, 2026 / 9:38 AM EDT / CBS News

By Zak Hudak

As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since Sept. 11, 2001, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, may be facing the risk of renewed scrutiny and fresh political attack.

El-Sayed is a leader of a new crop of candidates from a wing of his party that opposed American wars and capitalized on anger over anti-Arab sentiment in a state with a robust and active Muslim community. But now he is attempting to adapt — and in some cases delete — past statements that may run afoul of a broad, general election audience.

As El-Sayed heads into the fall general election campaign against Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, El-Sayed, a former public health official, has already been forced to distance himself from the views of Hasan Piker, a popular Twitch streamer who has appeared at El-Sayed’s campaign events and who generated controversy for declaring that “America deserved 9/11” before later retracting the remark.

Meanwhile, El-Sayed’s past references to the deadly attacks have continued to surface, including two deleted social media posts verified by CBS News that have not been previously reported. In those posts, he calls for the American public to muster the same outrage for the COVID-19 death toll that they displayed after 9/11.

In one, from April 2020, El-Sayed compared the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on Sept. 11 to the mounting COVID-19 death toll and argued for a response commensurate with the nation’s post-9/11 mobilization. In another, El-Sayed wrote that because more Americans had died from COVID than in the Sept. 11 attacks, he hoped “that means we’ll spend the next ten years fighting a war for public health & against poverty … like we launched a global #WaronTerror after 9/11. We could save lives rather than take them.”

“Abdul has always unequivocally condemned terrorism and the September 11 attacks,” a spokesperson for El-Sayed’s campaign said in a statement to CBS News. “Mike Rogers’ attempts to misrepresent Abdul’s beliefs are bad-faith lies meant to mislead Michiganders.”

In another deleted post, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon, El-Sayed wrote on Sept. 11, 2021: “Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries, & infrastructural devastation in NYC, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I’ll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my country.”

For El-Sayed, the emergence of old social media posts could present a unique challenge, said Adrian Hemond, a bipartisan political consultant based in Lansing.

“El-Sayed has what I call a ‘Quacks like a duck problem,’” Hemond said. “There’s enough quacking going on, sort of directionally, that it has raised questions for a lot of people, and he hasn’t done a very good job addressing those questions.”

The coming anniversary will mark another chance for El-Sayed to navigate a uniquely sensitive chapter of American history in a way that reassures moderate voters without alienating the progressive activists who make up a significant part of his political coalition.

“I think that people underestimate how critically important the Arab vote is in Michigan,” said Kristian Ramos, a Washington-based progressive strategist.

“I think that the war in Iran and everything else has scrambled a lot of people’s perceptions on what is and isn’t acceptable in this moment,” Ramos added. “And I also think what people are missing is there’s a reason that he came out of the primary the way that he did: because he was speaking to issues that resonated with Michigan primary voters who he will need to win the general.”

The Sept. 11 attacks have largely served as a source of unity in American politics. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, launched two decades of military conflict and reshaped everything from foreign policy to airport security. For candidates seeking statewide office, even indirect references to the attacks can invite scrutiny that references to other tragedies might not.

Matt Grossmann, a political scientist at Michigan State University, said El-Sayed’s deleted social media posts are unlikely to damage his campaign on their own, but they feed a narrative pushed by his opponent that he holds fringe views.

“Is any specific tweet going to matter for the general election? It seems unlikely,” Grossmann said. “But does the general impression that he might be too extreme […] will that make a difference? That has a bigger chance of doing so.”

The more El-Sayed is questioned about his prior rhetoric, the less he will be able to wage successful attacks on his opponent, former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, said Democratic strategist and CBS News contributor Joel Payne.

“He applies a kind of non-traditional voice to some of those ideas. That allowed him to stand out. That also allowed him to demonstrate his willingness to kind of break from convention,” said Payne. “Right now, I think what that’s created for him is that [his non-conventional voice] is what people want to talk about, as opposed to him executing an economic case against Mike Rogers.”

The most acute example of this dynamic emerged when El-Sayed sought to address his association with Piker, the Twitch personality who in 2019 declared that “America deserved 9/11” before later retracting the remark. As El-Sayed campaigned alongside the streamer this spring, he was repeatedly pressed to explain the relationship. In an interview on Fox & Friends in April, El-Sayed said: “Of course I don’t think 9/11 was justified. Just because you appear with somebody doesn’t mean you agree with them on everything.”

Republicans have since sought to turn the issue into a broader test of character and judgment, arguing that El-Sayed’s continued association with Piker reflects poorly on his political instincts. His opponent, Rogers, issued a statement after El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination that falsely attributed Piker’s comments to El-Sayed himself.

“I spent years hunting terrorists and bringing Osama bin Laden to justice,” Rogers said. “Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11.”

Separately, El-Sayed had called the events of September 11 “craven terrorist attacks” and said they “devastated him” in his 2020 book “Healing Politics.”

More broadly, the Sept. 11 issue fits a recurring challenge for El-Sayed’s campaign. Throughout the race, he has repeatedly been pushed to explain controversial associations or comments touching on national security, foreign policy and extremism. In each case, opponents have portrayed him as outside the political mainstream, while El-Sayed has argued that critics are misrepresenting his views or taking them out of context.

The balancing act may be especially difficult in Michigan, home to one of the nation’s largest Arab American and Muslim communities. Many voters in those communities remain deeply engaged in debates about the consequences of the post-9/11 era, including the wars with Iraq and Afghanistan, and surveillance programs that targeted Muslims.

特朗普削减科研经费 “让人变聪明”研究中途喊停

2026年8月31日 23:14 / 联合早报

特朗普政府持续收紧联邦科研开支，并推动部分部门把资金从基础研究转向应用研究，导致一些大学科研项目被取消或中断，也引发美国学界对长期科研能力受损的担忧。 （彭博社）

美国特朗普政府削减科研经费，导致一项研究“人能不能通过训练提升空间思维能力”的项目在去年底被迫中途取消。

负责项目的科学家警告，如果政府继续把资源从基础研究转向短期内看得见成果的应用研究，未来可能会削弱科学突破的根基。

《纽约时报》报道，卡内基梅隆大学心理学教授、发展神经科学系主任坎特隆（Jessica Cantlon）长期研究人类大脑和认知能力。近几年，她的研究重点放在数学思维和空间视觉能力上，比如人如何在多维空间中发现规律、判断物体移动方向，以及预测行动结果。

这些能力对工程师、外科医生、船舶和飞机驾驶员等职业都很重要，但学校里通常不会专门训练。坎特隆因此想弄清楚：空间思维能力到底能不能通过后天训练明显提高？

她的团队获得了美国海军150万美元（约190万新元）的拨款。这个项目属于一个更大的“注意力控制计划”。研究人员先让参与者接受功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）脑部扫描，然后进行九周的空间问题训练，训练结束后再做一次脑部扫描，用来观察大脑活动是否发生变化。

团队也希望比较不同性别在空间任务上的表现。过去有研究认为，女性在某些空间任务上的表现相对较弱，但学界一直有争议：这种差异到底是生理原因造成的，还是社会和文化环境影响的结果。

坎特隆说，项目的初步结果显示，训练确实有帮助，而且男女参与者的大脑神经活动并没有明显差异。

不过，项目才进行到一半，拨款就在去年底突然被取消。当时团队只完成了大约三分之二所需的脑部扫描，也来不及对数据做完整分析。由于经费被砍，项目损失了约三分之一预算，团队还不得不紧急寻找其他资金，以保住博士后研究员、技术人员和研究生的岗位。

更严重的是，整个研究计划后来也被关闭。坎特隆说，当局给出的理由是，相关部门要把重点从基础研究转向更有实际用途的应用研究。

坎特隆担忧称，基础研究虽然不一定马上变成产品或技术，但它提供的是未来科学发现最根本的知识。很多重大突破，甚至诺贝尔奖级别的成果，都是建立在长期基础研究之上的。

她警告，如果基础研究不断被压缩，应用科学最终也会失去新的知识来源。这样一来，“我们只会停留在已经知道的东西上”，科学进步可能因此变慢。

特朗普削减科研经费 “让人变聪明”研究中途喊停

2026年8月31日 23:14 / 联合早报

特朗普政府持续收紧联邦科研开支，并推动部分部门把资金从基础研究转向应用研究，导致一些大学科研项目被取消或中断，也引发美国学界对长期科研能力受损的担忧。 （彭博社）

美国特朗普政府削减科研经费，导致一项研究“人能不能通过训练提升空间思维能力”的项目在去年底被迫中途取消。

负责项目的科学家警告，如果政府继续把资源从基础研究转向短期内看得见成果的应用研究，未来可能会削弱科学突破的根基。

《纽约时报》报道，卡内基梅隆大学心理学教授、发展神经科学系主任坎特隆（Jessica Cantlon）长期研究人类大脑和认知能力。近几年，她的研究重点放在数学思维和空间视觉能力上，比如人如何在多维空间中发现规律、判断物体移动方向，以及预测行动结果。

这些能力对工程师、外科医生、船舶和飞机驾驶员等职业都很重要，但学校里通常不会专门训练。坎特隆因此想弄清楚：空间思维能力到底能不能通过后天训练明显提高？

她的团队获得了美国海军150万美元（约190万新元）的拨款。这个项目属于一个更大的“注意力控制计划”。研究人员先让参与者接受功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）脑部扫描，然后进行九周的空间问题训练，训练结束后再做一次脑部扫描，用来观察大脑活动是否发生变化。

团队也希望比较不同性别在空间任务上的表现。过去有研究认为，女性在某些空间任务上的表现相对较弱，但学界一直有争议：这种差异到底是生理原因造成的，还是社会和文化环境影响的结果。

坎特隆说，项目的初步结果显示，训练确实有帮助，而且男女参与者的大脑神经活动并没有明显差异。

不过，项目才进行到一半，拨款就在去年底突然被取消。当时团队只完成了大约三分之二所需的脑部扫描，也来不及对数据做完整分析。由于经费被砍，项目损失了约三分之一预算，团队还不得不紧急寻找其他资金，以保住博士后研究员、技术人员和研究生的岗位。

更严重的是，整个研究计划后来也被关闭。坎特隆说，当局给出的理由是，相关部门要把重点从基础研究转向更有实际用途的应用研究。

坎特隆担忧称，基础研究虽然不一定马上变成产品或技术，但它提供的是未来科学发现最根本的知识。很多重大突破，甚至诺贝尔奖级别的成果，都是建立在长期基础研究之上的。

她警告，如果基础研究不断被压缩，应用科学最终也会失去新的知识来源。这样一来，“我们只会停留在已经知道的东西上”，科学进步可能因此变慢。

Abdul El-Sayed shares dozens of donors with ex-GOP candidate at center of antisemitism controversy

Shared donors gave more than $61,000 combined to the Michigan Senate candidate and the failed GOP congressional hopeful

August 31, 2026 5:00am EDT / Fox News

By Elaine Mallon Fox News

Published August 31, 2026 5:00am EDT

Democrats urged to ‘disavow’ Hasan Piker

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny over his campaign’s ties to far-left streamer Hasan Piker. Piker’s highly controversial remarks about U.S. Jews prompt prominent Democrats to warn colleagues to distance themselves. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer joins ‘America Reports’ to analyze the fallout and the growing antisemitism concerns on the far-left.

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Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed shares nearly two dozen donors with former Republican congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian, whose campaign included antisemitic attacks against Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla.

El-Sayed and Bilzerian are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but both have criticized U.S. support for Israel and called on the United States to cease all aid to the Jewish state.

Bilzerian has supported the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts, while El-Sayed has called for abolishing ICE. Bilzerian has called for lower taxes and less regulation, while El-Sayed has called for higher taxes on the wealthy and Medicare for All.

The two candidates’ shared donors have contributed more than $61,000 to their campaigns, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings for both campaigns. The shared donors gave $23,144.12 to Bilzerian’s campaign and approximately $38,626.20 to El-Sayed’s campaign.

EL-SAYED CAMPAIGN BACKED BY OVER $100,000 FROM DOZENS OF MEMBERS OF GROUP WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, speaks to the press with Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., at a campaign rally at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Aug. 26, 2026. Separately, Dan Bilzerian visits India to announce his association with sports predictor LivePools and the launch of his male grooming brand, Alister, on Sept. 13, 2019, in Mumbai, India.(Katie McTiernan / Anadolu via Getty Images; Prodip Guha / Getty Images)

Bilzerian lost to Fine in the primary, and his campaign tactics and advertisements drew sharp criticism from Republican leaders. His attacks against Fine, who is Jewish, included a 2½-minute AI-generated campaign ad calling Fine a “fat Jew” as well as other antisemitic remarks.

“Jewish supremacy is the greatest threat to the world today,” Bilzerian told Fox News Digital in response to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, El-Sayed, who has routinely accused Israel of committing “genocide” against the Palestinian people, has drawn criticism for his associations with social media influencer Hasan Piker, who said the terrorist group Hamas was “a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state,” referring to Israel.

Donors to both El-Sayed and Bilzerian include prominent critics of Israel, such as Georgia attorney Ibrahim Awad of Awad Law Firm. He contributed $12,651.88 through a joint fundraising committee supporting Bilzerian’s campaign on April 25, 2026. It is unclear how much of that contribution was attributed to Awad. Fox News Digital reached out to Awad for comment.

EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS

A little more than a month earlier, Awad donated $7,000 to El-Sayed’s campaign.

Awad, whose mother was born in Gaza, has been a vocal critic of Israel and has accused the Jewish state of committing a Holocaust in Gaza that may be worse than the Holocaust during World War II.

“It’s a Holocaust,” Awad shared during an appearance on the “Sumud Podcast” hosted by Dr. Ed Hasan. “Like, it’s present day. There are so many ways that it’s even worse than [the] World War II Holocaust because it’s happening in real time right in front of us.”

Awad appeared on the podcast in August 2025, when he decried Zionism as a “toxic way of thinking.”

“That’s the poisonous sin, right? The toxicity of Zionism,” Awad said. “It’s all rooted in this supremacy. Racism is rooted in this supremacy. Slavery is rooted in this supremacy.”

He said he distinguishes Judaism from Zionism but argued that Palestinians should not be responsible for explaining that distinction.

U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders and embraced comparisons between him and Zohran Mamdani.(Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED’S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS

“The onus is on the oppressor,” Awad said. “I mean, about whether you’re coming in, and you’re saying, ‘Hey, Israel is a Jewish state,’ and that same Jewish state is coming in and spray-painting the walls with the Star of David, and then I have to now, as the victim whose home was stolen, say, ‘Oh no, it’s not that you’re a bad Jew. It’s that you’re just a Zionist settler.’

“Nonetheless, we take the high ground, and we distinguish, and we say, ‘No, this is Zionism, right? This is Jewish supremacy. That is antithetical to Judaism, right? But that’s what it is,’” Awad continued.

Awad also rejected the characterization of the Palestinian resistance as “terrorism.”

Meanwhile, Hussein “Sam” Mahrouq, a Texas resident and owner of Enterprises International, which is the parent company of AutoMax and Dollar Rent-A-Car, donated $3,500 to El-Sayed’s campaign from May 2025 to April 2026.

He also contributed more than $1,000 through a joint fundraising committee supporting Bilzerian. Mahrouq has donated to other candidates critical of Israel, including Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

He also donated $400,000 to American Priorities PAC, which was created this year to counter the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the New York Post reported.

Mahrouq shared during an appearance on the podcast “Bigger than Business” that he is the child of Palestinian refugees.

Poker player Dan Bilzerian attends qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway on April 24, 2015, in Richmond, Virginia.(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

In a statement, Mahrouq did not directly answer Fox News Digital’s question about whether El-Sayed and Bilzerian’s stances on Israel factored into his decision to donate.

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE CONFRONTED REPEATEDLY OVER ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST, DEFUNDING THE POLICE

“I have made contributions and donations to many different candidates, organizations, community initiatives and charitable projects over the years,” Mahrouq said. “A contribution should not be interpreted as an endorsement of every position taken by a candidate or organization.”

Muhi Khwaja, co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation, donated $625 to El-Sayed’s campaign and $26.68 to Bilzerian’s campaign.

Khwaja described a visit to Gaza in a November 2023 essay and advocated for building support for Palestinians beyond the Arab world.

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“The Israel-Hamas war has made one thing clear: The philanthropic world can no longer turn a blind eye to the collective punishment facing Palestinians,” Khwaja wrote. “As a student of philanthropy, I believe in the love of humankind. As a Muslim, I believe in compassion for all. My Jewish friends and colleagues believe in Tikkun olam — repairing the world. But Israel’s actions in Gaza are doing the opposite.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign and Khwaja for comment. Awad was also contacted for comment.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

‘Jesus was a radical’: Progressives invoke Christ to sell left-wing agenda on campaign trail

Christ ‘pushed for the same things that I’m fighting for today,’ Angie Nixon tells congregants

August 31, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

Florida progressive compares her ‘radical’ positions to Jesus

Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon took a page from Abdul El-Sayed’s book and compared her “radical” positions to Jesus in an unearthed clip. (Credit: St. Paul AME Jacksonville – Aug. 23)

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Progressives seeking a seat in the Senate are taking a decades-old page from their Republican counterparts, using faith as a political tool to build connections with voters.

Three progressive Democratic candidates running for the Senate, Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, Abdul El-Sayed and Texas state Rep. James Talarico, share a penchant for bucking the Democratic establishment in their meteoric rise this midterm cycle.

They have also incorporated their religions and faiths into their campaigns and messaging to voters, showing shades of the “Moral Majority” coalition that formed during the late 1970s in the GOP when former President Ronald Reagan was running as Republicans sought to tie policy to Christianity.

PROGRESSIVE FLORIDA LAWMAKER ANGIE NIXON TOPPLES TRUMP IMPEACHMENT WITNESS IN DEM SENATE PRIMARY UPSET

Progressive hopefuls are lifting a page from Republicans’ playbook and tying faith to their policy platforms.(Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images; Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Nixon, who scored a major upset against Alexander Vindman, a major figure during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial who was backed by the Democratic establishment in Washington, D.C., has become a prime target for the GOP because of her connection to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

During a sermon last week at the Saint Paul AME Church of Jacksonville, Fla., Nixon, who will face Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in November, contended that her “radical” positions were akin to those of Jesus Christ.

“They are trying, y’all. They are trying … to label me as this extremist, this radical. But, you know, Jesus was a radical,” Nixon said.

EL-SAYED MAKES JESUS COMPARISON WHEN PRESSED ON SOCIALIST VIEWS: ‘RADICAL IN HIS TIME, TOO’

“And Jesus fought for — I mean, he pushed for the same things that I’m fighting for today, right? Right now, we’re literally in a civil rights moment,” she continued. “Whether or not people wanna believe it or not, but we are.”

She joined the DSA in June, prompting immediate backlash from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, which tied her to socialism, despite her denial that she’s a Democratic socialist.

Nixon isn’t the only one of the three to make the same comparison.

El-Sayed, during an appearance on the Progressive Christians Podcast that aired in May, similarly invoked Christ when asked about his policy positions. El-Sayed, who is Muslim and running in Michigan’s toss-up race against former Rep. Mike Rogers, was asked about the similarities between his faith and Christianity and why they were being targeted as radical.

“Well, you know, Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, was considered radical in his time, too,” El-Sayed said.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS ‘MISSED THE MARK’ WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS ‘NON-BINARY’

“And there is a radical nature to being willing to stand forthright in a time of corruption, and I think it’s important for all of us to realize that popularity and zeitgeist don’t make truth. And we live in a time where people are trying to normalize corruption,” he continued.

Of the three, Talarico, who is running in the toss-up race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, has displayed his faith the most. He has been taking seminary classes to become a Presbyterian minister, and has blended Christianity with his policy platform since launching his candidacy last year.

And like the others, Republicans have pounced on his use of faith as a point of attack, particularly in his defense of transgender children.

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In pushing back against the Texas GOP’s newly signed anti-trans bill in 2021, Talarico argued Texas Republicans were trying to justify the measure “in the name of God’s law.”

“The first two lines of the Bible, the first two lines in Genesis, use two different Hebrew words to describe God. One is the masculine Hebrew noun for divinity,” Talarico said. “The second is the feminine Hebrew noun for spirit. God is both masculine and feminine, and everything in between.”

“God is non-binary,” he said.

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

中国羽协副主席夏煊泽、原副主席王伟同日被查

2026年8月31日 19:35 / 联合早报

中国羽毛球协会副主席夏煊泽（左）、原副主席王伟（右）同一天官宣被查。 （互联网）

中国羽毛球界推进反腐行动。中国羽毛球协会副主席夏煊泽、原副主席王伟同一天官宣被查。

中国国家体育总局官网星期一（8月31日）发布消息称，夏煊泽和王伟均涉嫌严重违法，目前正接受中央纪委国家监委驻国家体育总局纪检监察组和江苏南通监委监察调查。

加上今年4月29日官宣被查的中国羽协时任主席、南京体育学院副院长张军，中国羽协四个月内已有三人被查。

据财新网，此次落马的夏煊泽在羽协官网的副主席排序中名列首位，但在官宣消息后他的名字被从该栏目中删除。

王伟曾是羽毛球运动员，在2001年第九届全运会上获得过男双金牌，退役后曾在中国羽毛球队担任教练。他在上一届羽协领导层中任副主席兼秘书长，现任上海市竞技体育训练管理中心乒羽运动中心党支部书记、上海市羽协秘书长，8月16日还在上海参加公开活动。

花拉公园尿斗面对面”相隔仅60厘米 使用者如厕时“进退两难”

2026-08-31 19:41 / 新明日报

• 花拉公园地铁站男厕两排尿斗面对面设置，中间相隔仅约60厘米，通道狭窄致使用者如厕时进退两难。 – 记者走访发现外侧尿斗若同时有人使用通道即被堵住，内侧虽有空位后来者仍须等候，携物者更不便。 – 有公众反映高峰时段常因通道受阻被迫排队甚至改去别处如厕，建议减少设施或交错排列以留出空间。 – 新捷运表示已知悉厕所空间狭窄问题，正检讨改善设计的可能方案，称工程需仔细规划以减少不便。

记者观察，一旦靠近入口的两侧尿斗同时有人使用，通道便几乎被堵住。 （陈渊庄摄）

花拉公园地铁站男厕两排尿斗“面对面”设置，中间相隔仅约60厘米，一旦外侧的尿斗有人使用，即使里面仍有空位，其他人也可能因通道太窄而无法进入。新捷运强调，已知悉情况，并正检讨改善设计的可能方案。

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《联合早报》记者星期一（8月31日）下午2时许走访花拉公园地铁站，发现男厕内共有两排尿斗相对而设，每排四个，中间形成一条狭窄通道。

记者现场测量，两排尿斗之间的距离仅约60厘米。记者站在两排尿斗之间横向伸展双臂时，双手根本法伸直，可见空间相当局促。

据记者观察，如果每一排只有一人使用尿斗，其他人尚能勉强从中间经过。不过，一旦靠近入口两侧的尿斗同时有人使用，通道就会被堵住。即使内侧仍有多个无人使用的尿斗，后来者也只能站在外头等候。使用者如果背着背包或携带较大的随身物品，情况则更加不便。

印度游客普拉万（36岁，信息技术工程师）告诉《联合早报》，他过去一周到过本地不少公共厕所，花拉公园地铁站男厕的空间最狭窄。

他说，自己去厕所时人不多，倒没怎么觉得不方便，但高峰时段的情况就不难想象了。“如果我使用的是最里侧的尿斗，之后又有人站到外侧，那我可能连走出来都有困难。”

他觉得，与其为了增加尿斗数量而牺牲通行空间，不如减少部分设施。

“宁可拆掉一边的尿斗，或两边交错排列，留多一些空间让人进出。”

另一名公众张德春（79岁，退休人士）则说，他经常使用花拉公园地铁站的公厕，不时会因有人使用外侧的尿斗而必须排队，很不方便。

他忆述，有一次在傍晚高峰时段上厕所时，就有人在如厕之后，因靠外的尿斗有人使用而出不来，厕所外一下子就有四五人排队等候。

“还好当时我不是特别急，只能去附近的商场上厕所。”

张德春认为，这种情况已不单是“稍小一些”的瑕疵，而是直接掣肘了正常使用，这种情况在人流较多时尤其明显。

根据卫浴文化协会2022年发布的第五版《公厕设计与维修指南》，尿斗正前方至墙壁、其他设施或门之间，建议保留约900毫米，也就是90厘米的净空空间。

指南附录中有关多个尿斗的设计示意图，也显示尿斗前方应预留足够的活动和通行空间。不过，有关指南属于设计建议，花拉公园地铁站男厕目前的设计是否符合相关强制建筑规范，仍有待有关方面进一步说明。

针对男厕空间狭窄的问题，新捷运发言人陈贵珍答复《联合早报》询问时说，公司已知悉此事，并正在检讨改善厕所设计的可能方案。

她说：“任何工程都必须经过仔细规划，以尽量减少对乘客造成的不便。这需要一些时间，我们恳请乘客给予耐心和谅解。”