Michigan Democratic race to close to call with El-Sayed in narrow lead | First Thing

Michigan Democratic Senate Primary Remains Close as El-Sayed Holds Narrow Lead Over Stevens

Good morning. A Democratic primary contest for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan remained too close to call early on August 5, 2026, with Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health director, holding 48.7 percent of the vote compared with 47.3 percent for Representative Haley Stevens, according to Associated Press tabulations with 95 percent of precincts reporting. The state’s outcome is viewed by party strategists as relevant to Democratic efforts to gain a Senate majority in the November general election.

El-Sayed addressed supporters shortly after 4 a.m. local time, stating that additional ballots would need to be counted before a final result could be determined. Subsequent reporting after all votes were tallied confirmed El-Sayed’s victory in the primary. Stevens, first elected to the House in 2018 from Michigan’s 11th district, had received support from several national Democratic organizations and elected officials during the campaign.

In Missouri, Representative Wesley Bell defeated former Representative Cori Bush in the Democratic primary for the state’s 1st congressional district. Bell, who had won the seat in 2022, secured the nomination and will face the Republican nominee in November. Bush had sought to regain the position she held from 2019 to 2023.

Washington state conducted its top-two primary for the 3rd congressional district. Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez advanced to the general election alongside Republican state Senator John Braun. Gluesenkamp Perez had represented the district since 2023.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins declined to certify a petition for a statewide referendum on congressional redistricting. Organizers had submitted several hundred thousand signatures seeking voter approval of an alternative map to the one enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature. Hoskins stated that state law does not permit referendums on congressional district boundaries.

The U.S. Department of State revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States, Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti. The action followed Brazil’s earlier refusal to accept the Trump administration’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil and its denial of entry visas to two U.S. diplomats. Brazilian officials described the revocation as an attempt to affect the outcome of Brazil’s October presidential election, in which incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is seeking another term against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

OpenAI and a subsidiary agreed to pay $3.2 million to resolve claims by the Department of Justice that the company favored applicants holding temporary work visas over U.S. workers during recruitment. The settlement requires changes to hiring practices but does not include an admission of liability. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated that the agreement aims to provide equal opportunity for domestic applicants in technology positions.

The World Food Programme reported that the developing El Niño weather pattern could increase the number of people facing acute food insecurity by approximately 50 million by the end of 2027. The projection adds to existing estimates of 225 million people in 45 countries already experiencing acute hunger linked to prior droughts in parts of Africa and elevated food prices following the Iran conflict. Even a moderate El Niño event is expected to exceed coping capacity in multiple regions.

A Russian missile strike on Kyiv killed at least 17 people. Ukrainian authorities reported that no incoming missiles were intercepted during the attack and renewed requests for additional U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems.

Perez Hilton was hospitalized after posting video on TikTok that appeared to show acts of self-harm. Mike Lindell announced he was stepping down from daily operations at MyPillow to pursue the Republican nomination for governor of Minnesota. An armed individual identified as Jeanine John Taele was arrested at a Trump-owned golf course in California after being observed taking photographs and video of the property several days before a scheduled presidential visit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its investigation of a cyclosporiasis outbreak to include confirmed cases in 15 states, among them Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.

UFC’s Freedom 250 event held on the South Lawn of the White House drew 8.2 million domestic viewers and roughly 34 million viewers worldwide, according to company figures. Despite the audience size, the event produced an estimated net loss of $30 million.

Alternative low-impact cardio activities recommended by fitness professionals include swimming, cycling on stationary bikes, rowing, water aerobics, elliptical training, and aquatic walking. Each option provides cardiovascular conditioning while reducing stress on joints compared with running.

Cristian Lucañas, an entomologist in the Philippines, has described several newly identified cockroach species, assigning names drawn from Tolkien and Pokémon references. The annual invertebrate of the year competition continues to highlight lesser-known species and their ecological roles.

Protesters in southern Arizona maintained a tree-sit in an approximately 200-year-old cottonwood grove to delay removal of the trees during construction of border barriers along the U.S.-Mexico line.

Three lions at Tama Zoological Park in Tokyo died from suspected heatstroke during a period of record high temperatures. Japan recorded its hottest summer on record in 2025, with multiple locations exceeding 40 °C in recent weeks.

A study published in 2026 found that readers rated certain AI-generated short stories higher in absorption and overall quality than stories written by human authors under controlled conditions. The finding has prompted discussion within publishing and media industries about the comparative capabilities of current generative models.

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