John Roberts is trying to send a message on Trump but is largely in lockstep

2026-07-28T10:00:26.475Z / CNN Politics

Far-left Senate hopeful explains ‘ogre on a pike’ remark after getting torched by his own party

July 28, 2026 6:00am EDT / Fox News

El-Sayed says Fetterman was target of ‘ogre on a pike’ remark, stands by comments

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., was the target of his controversial “ogre on a pike” remark during the candidates’ final primary debate but did not take it back. (Credit: WJBK)

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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, declined to apologize Monday night for his “ogre on a pike” metaphor after critics from both parties condemned the leaked remark as violent and, in some cases, sexist.

Pressed during the final primary debate before next week’s election, over whether he regretted the rhetoric, El-Sayed defended the substance of his comments before revealing whom he had been referring to — and it was not primary opponent Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.

“I was referring to a guy named John Fetterman,” El-Sayed said, accusing the Pennsylvania Democratic senator of getting elected on one set of values before “completely throwing those values in the mud.”

GRETCHEN WHITMER ENDORSES MODERATE HALEY STEVENS IN TIGHT UPCOMING SENATE PRIMARY

The controversy stemmed from comments El-Sayed made during a recent Zoom meeting with donors, Politico reported, adding that El-Sayed was discussing how to use his victory in Michigan’s upcoming Aug. 4 primary and the November election to build a national platform to move the Democratic Party further left and support future primary challenges, such as against Fetterman.

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) walks through the Senate Subway during the Senate War Powers vote on April 22, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

“Ideally, you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message,” El-Sayed said, according to audio obtained by Politico. While El-Sayed did not name Stevens in the recording, some Democrats interpreted the remark as referring to her. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., who has endorsed Stevens, called the remark a “violent, vulgar” threat and said candidates should be working to lower the political temperature.

Neera Tanden, a former Biden administration official who returned to leading the left-wing think tank the Center for American Progress, connected the remark to broader accusations of sexism that have roiled the primary. “Calling your female opponent an ogre you want to put on a pike is not beating the rap that this race has some serious sexism,” Tanden wrote on X.

SWING-STATE POLL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR FAR LEFT AS SCHUMER-BACKED CANDIDATE DOMINATES WITH CRITICAL VOTING BLOCS

El-Sayed did not apologize for or retract the metaphor. He instead argued that senators should be willing to challenge colleagues who fail to act according to the values on which they campaigned. The progressive candidate then pivoted to accuse the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC, of running repeated attacks against his character on Stevens’ behalf. He invoked his wife, mother and two daughters while rejecting accusations that his rhetoric toward women had been disrespectful.

Michigan Democratic candidate for Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at The People V. The Powerful rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan.(Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

“I was raised by strong women,” El-Sayed said, arguing that claims he was sexist because he had criticized former first lady Michelle Obama in a years-old opinion piece and challenged Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 gubernatorial primary were “inconsistent with the truth.”

Stevens responded by highlighting other comments attributed to El-Sayed during the leaked donor call, including attacks involving Whitmer, former Sen. Debbie Stabenow and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who was in the race with El-Sayed and Stevens before dropping out earlier this month.

“Only he can account for saying that Whitmer is bought and paid for, or that no one cares about Debbie Stabenow, or that Mallory McMorrow isn’t smart enough,” Stevens said.

She later delivered a pointed response to El-Sayed’s clarification.

“Thank you for clarifying that you didn’t call me an ogre,” Stevens said.

Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan, right, and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed are facing off in the August 4, 2026, Democratic Senate primary in the Great Lakes battleground state.(Getty Images)

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT MALLORY MCMORROW DROPS OUT OF SENATE RACE WEEKS BEFORE PRIMARY

Meanwhile, Stevens’ campaign spokesperson, Arik Wolk, accused El-Sayed of resorting to personal insults and focusing on his national political ambitions rather than Michigan.

“Abdul continues with personal insults and making this race about his personal political ambitions and the other 49 states,” Wolk said. “Haley is focused on getting things done for Michigan, and only Michigan.”

Republicans also took advantage of the remarks. RNC Research characterized El-Sayed’s debate response as a “double down” on calling Fetterman an “ogre,” while Michigan Republican strategist Dennis Lennox argued that El-Sayed’s candidacy was “about propelling the hard Left’s ascent nationally.”

The “pike” imagery has triggered political controversy before. In 2020, former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon said he would place the heads of Dr. Anthony Fauci and then-FBI Director Christopher Wray “on pikes” outside the White House as a warning to federal officials.

X, then-Twitter, suspended Bannon’s podcast account following backlash over the remarks, while Facebook and YouTube removed the video they were included in, citing policies addressing violent or incendiary content. Bannon later maintained that he had been speaking metaphorically — similar to El-Sayed.

Steve Bannon speaks at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington D.C., Sept. 3, 2025.(DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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Earlier that year, a separate “head on a pike” controversy erupted during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial after CBS News reported that an unnamed Trump confidant said Republican senators had been warned, “Vote against the president and your head will be on a pike.”

Then-House impeachment manager, now Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., repeated the report on the Senate floor while stressing, “I don’t know if that is true” and “I hope it is not true.” Republican senators immediately disputed the account, with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, saying she knew of no senator who had been threatened by the administration and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said of Schiff’s remark about the alleged comments: “That’s when he lost me.”

“Not only have I never heard the ‘head on the pike’ line, but also I know of no Republican senator who has been threatened in any way by anyone in the administration,” Collins told reporters at the time.

Alec Schemmel is a Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital who is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina but now resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.

日本气象厅解除海啸警报 至少50人受伤

2026年7月28日 18:14 / 联合早报

7月28日，日本熊本县发生7.1级的地震，熊本城部分石墙坍塌。 （路透社）

日本西南部星期二（7月28日）发生强烈地震。日本气象厅随后解除了此前发布的海啸警报。首相高市早苗说，至少50民众受伤，当局正在评估人员和建筑物损伤的具体情况。

法新社报道，地震发生不到两小时后，气象厅在网站上解除了海啸警报。气象厅发言人此前说：“此次地震发生在内陆，目前尚未观测到海啸活动。”

高市早苗说，地震造成多人受伤、道路和桥梁被破坏、房屋倒塌并引发火灾。“我们仍在评估伤亡和财产损失的程度，但我已获悉有数人受伤。”

高市早苗在首相官邸召开记者会，吁请民众疏散到安全地点。（路透社）

日本广播协会（NHK）报道，地震发生后，至少有50人在地震中受伤被送往医院。NHK还报道称，有12栋房屋倒塌，其中四栋内有人被困。

据九州电力公司透露，地震导致当地四万户家庭断电，九州旅客铁道公司暂停各类列车服务，包括新干线高速列车。熊本机场也暂时关闭跑道，转移和取消航班。

熊本县10年前曾发生7级地震，当时造成275人死亡，另外2739人受伤，多座建筑倒塌，包括历史古迹熊本城。

熊本城过后展开多年的修复工程，不过星期二这场地震，又导致至少一截城墙倒塌。

日本气象厅解除海啸警报 至少50人受伤

2026年7月28日 18:14 / 联合早报

7月28日，日本熊本县发生7.1级的地震，熊本城部分石墙坍塌。 （路透社）

日本西南部星期二（7月28日）发生强烈地震。日本气象厅随后解除了此前发布的海啸警报。首相高市早苗说，至少50民众受伤，当局正在评估人员和建筑物损伤的具体情况。

法新社报道，地震发生不到两小时后，气象厅在网站上解除了海啸警报。气象厅发言人此前说：“此次地震发生在内陆，目前尚未观测到海啸活动。”

高市早苗说，地震造成多人受伤、道路和桥梁被破坏、房屋倒塌并引发火灾。“我们仍在评估伤亡和财产损失的程度，但我已获悉有数人受伤。”

高市早苗在首相官邸召开记者会，吁请民众疏散到安全地点。（路透社）

日本广播协会（NHK）报道，地震发生后，至少有50人在地震中受伤被送往医院。NHK还报道称，有12栋房屋倒塌，其中四栋内有人被困。

据九州电力公司透露，地震导致当地四万户家庭断电，九州旅客铁道公司暂停各类列车服务，包括新干线高速列车。熊本机场也暂时关闭跑道，转移和取消航班。

熊本县10年前曾发生7级地震，当时造成275人死亡，另外2739人受伤，多座建筑倒塌，包括历史古迹熊本城。

熊本城过后展开多年的修复工程，不过星期二这场地震，又导致至少一截城墙倒塌。

Sports betting industry spending on US midterm elections surpasses $72 million

2026-07-28T10:03:28.833Z / Reuters

NEW YORK, July 28 (Reuters) – DraftKings, FanDuel and other online sports betting companies have ramped up election spending on the U.S. midterms to at ​least $72 million so far, the latest campaign election data shows, as prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket bring fresh scrutiny — and competition — to online betting.

The lucrative ‌U.S. online sports gambling industry is confronting competition from what some see as a direct threat from a new breed of gambling across prediction markets, which the administration of President Donald Trump has embraced.

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The industry has become the third-largest corporate donor in the U.S. midterms behind crypto and technology, corporate watchdog Public Citizen estimates, pushing to get candidates elected to office who it hopes will be sympathetic to its issues.

Online sports betting books DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics ​and UK-based bet365 have poured their money into Win for America, a so-called super political action committee (PAC) that has directed its funds into two affiliate PACs targeting Democratic ​and Republican state races: American Future and the American Conservative Fund, respectively.

Super PACs are U.S. political committees that can accept unlimited donations from corporations ⁠and individuals and spend unlimited sums supporting specific candidates, but they cannot coordinate directly with campaigns or donate directly to them.

Win for America launched late last year, according to Public ​Citizen, and such spending levels are unprecedented for the industry.

“Win for America is ramping up to be another corporate money juggernaut,” said Rick Claypool, a research director for the nonprofit research group. He compared ​it to the artificial intelligence and crypto sectors, which have each spent more than $100 million on the midterms so far.

Win for America and FanDuel declined to comment. DraftKings, Fanatics and bet365 did not respond to requests for comment.

Supporting particular candidates does not guarantee they will champion legislation if they are elected, but corporations are increasingly sharing their wealth in hopes that investment will eventually pay off. The money’s impact is already evident in some state ​races.

Win for America spent more than $12 million in Georgia state races through two smaller PACs – Republican-focused American Conservative Fund and Democrat-focused American Future – as the legislature there weighs bills that ​would legalize gambling, state campaign finance records show.

The money went into 34 legislative races ahead of the primary. All but two of the candidates supported by the industry won, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

reported in May
.

American Future ‌and American ⁠Conservative Fund did not respond to requests for comment. Polymarket and Kalshi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Win for America is also spending heavily on races in Pennsylvania, where there was a push to raise taxes on the online sports betting industry to boost state aid for public transportation, election records show.

The industry originally gave Win for America $43 million in contributions through the first quarter before donating another $29 million in the second quarter, federal election records show. Those totals do not reflect its overall giving since federal election records do not capture all spending on state ​races or what is allocated to so-called dark money groups — ​nonprofits that do not have to disclose ⁠their donors.

DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and BetMGM formed the Sports Betting Alliance in 2021, a trade association designed to lobby Congress and state legislatures to keep online gaming legal across the U.S. BetMGM has not donated to the super PAC.

DraftKings has given at least $34 million in donations to ​Win for America, followed by FanDuel with at least $27 million, and bet365 and Fanatics with $5.5 million each in donations in this two-year ​election cycle. Bet365, founded ⁠by British billionaire Denise Coates, is donating money through its U.S. subsidiary, Hillside (Shared Services US) LLC.

DraftKings has also given at least $1 million to other committees while FanDuel has donated an additional $2 million, the records show.

A landmark 2018 Supreme Court decision struck down the federal law that had barred most states from legalizing sports betting. Since then, 39 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting of ⁠some form, ​including 33 states that allow online sports betting, according to the American Gaming Association.

The industry has steadily increased its ​spending on lobbying the U.S. Congress in recent years as a result, according to campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets. The nonpartisan nonprofit research group found that FanDuel spent $1.1 million on federal lobbying last year, seven times more than in ​2024. DraftKings more than doubled its annual lobbying spending at about $900,000, OpenSecrets found.

Reporting by Dawn Kopecki in New York and Douglas Gillison in Washington, D.C; Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Nia Williams

中国外交部：同有关国家合作并非要拉拢对抗谁

2026年7月28日 18:41 / 联合早报

中国外交部星期二（7月28日）强调，中国同有关国家和地区的合作，特别是同发展中国家的合作，不是要拉拢谁、对抗谁。

中国外交部发言人林剑在例行记者会上，针对有报道说美国计划投入数亿美元来对抗中国在美洲、非洲和亚洲日益增长的影响力，作出上述回应。他强调，国家之间发展正常关系、开展正常合作，不应针对第三方。

林剑也说，中国一贯反对搞封闭排他的小圈子，中国同有关国家和地区的合作，特别是同发展中国家的合作，不是要拉拢谁、对抗谁，而是要共同捍卫世界和平、促进全球发展、维护国际秩序。

Key takeaways from the Democratic Michigan Senate debate

2026-07-28T11:30:56.476Z / CNN

Key takeaways from the Democratic Michigan Senate debate

CNN This Morning

Breaking down the key takeaways from the Michigan Senate debate where Democratic party divides were on full display

6:24 • Source: CNN

法国警方在一对夫妇家中发现五具婴儿遗体

2026年7月28日 19:39 / 联合早报

据多方消息人士星期二（7月28日）透露，法国警方在东南部一对夫妇家中的纸箱内发现五具婴儿尸体。

法新社报道，接近调查的消息人士称，这名女子星期一（27日）在奥朗日镇生下一名健康婴儿后，警方发现了这些尸体，但未透露更多细节。

今年3月，一名44岁女子因杀害两名新生儿被判处25年监禁，警方在她家的冰柜中发现了两具婴儿的尸体。

2018年，一名女子因溺死五名新生儿并冷冻尸体，被判处八年监禁。她的丈夫患有抑郁症，且有时会对她施暴。

2015年的另一起案件中，一名母亲因杀害八名新生儿被判处九年监禁，陪审团认定她当时判断力受损。

法国警方在一对夫妇家中发现五具婴儿遗体

2026年7月28日 19:39 / 联合早报

据多方消息人士星期二（7月28日）透露，法国警方在东南部一对夫妇家中的纸箱内发现五具婴儿尸体。

法新社报道，接近调查的消息人士称，这名女子星期一（27日）在奥朗日镇生下一名健康婴儿后，警方发现了这些尸体，但未透露更多细节。

今年3月，一名44岁女子因杀害两名新生儿被判处25年监禁，警方在她家的冰柜中发现了两具婴儿的尸体。

2018年，一名女子因溺死五名新生儿并冷冻尸体，被判处八年监禁。她的丈夫患有抑郁症，且有时会对她施暴。

2015年的另一起案件中，一名母亲因杀害八名新生儿被判处九年监禁，陪审团认定她当时判断力受损。

美国在台协会罕见发布台美海巡同框照片

2026年7月28日 15:39 / 联合早报

美国在台协会星期二（7月28日）罕见地在脸书，发布台湾海巡署与美国海岸卫队船艇同框照片。 （美国在台协会脸书）

美国在台协会星期二（7月28日）罕见地在社交平台，发布台湾海巡署与美国海岸卫队船艇同框照片。

美国在台协会（AIT）在脸书上载上述照片的同时，写道：“随着台风季到来，美国海岸防卫队与台湾海巡署正紧密协调多项共同的海事目标，包括搜救、热带风暴防御、灾害救援、海洋资源保育、非法捕鱼打击，以及海上毒品走私拦截等。

“美国感谢台湾在海事安全方面的伙伴关系，并持续支持台湾在全球议题上做出实质贡献，包括海事执法交流与国际合作等。”

ETtoday新闻云同日引述未具名的熟悉国际事务专家称，美国政府6月下旬发布声明否定中国大陆在台湾东部经济海域执法的国际权利，上述表态再次明确官方立场，并首次公开在美国与台湾的海上安全合作。

该专家认为，这等于向北京宣示，国际社会不支持北京对外扩张的主张，而台湾则在确保区域的安全稳定上与国际社会站在一起，也再次凸显中国大陆近来在岛链周边的单边行为，无视国际规范的非法扩权。