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Democrats’ civil war heads to Michigan where progressives face biggest test yet in high-stakes Senate showdown
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The high-stakes fight between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the future of the Democratic Party is moving to a much larger stage.
After victories by far-left and socialist candidates in dark blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado the past two weeks drew national attention, the spotlight now shifts to battleground Michigan.
That’s where moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who is backed by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the establishment; and former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed, a left-wing candidate endorsed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are colliding in a crucial Senate showdown.
The winner of the Aug. 4, 2026, Democratic primary will face-off in the midterm elections in November against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is on a glide path to the GOP nomination. The winner will succeed retiring Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat.
CRUCIAL SENATE BATTLE ROCKED AFTER MAJOR PLAYER DROPS OUT OF RACE
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. ( )
The seat is a top Republican target and is a must-hold for the Democrats as they aim to win back the Senate majority from the GOP, which currently controls the chamber with a slim, but manageable, 53-47 margin. The leading nonpartisan political handicappers at Cook Political Reporter rate the Senate race in Michigan as a toss-up.
Matt Bennett, one of the leaders at the Third Way, a leading center-left Democratic organization, told Fox News the primary in Michigan «is much more significant» than the intra-party ballot box showdowns the past two weeks in «very, very blue districts» in New York City and Denver.
The showdown in Michigan became a two-way race on Sunday, after progressive state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, once the third major Democrat in the primary, suspended her campaign.
«I may be suspending this campaign, but I am not leaving the fight,» McMorrow pledged in a statement Sunday as she ended her Senate bid.
McMorrow, who has seen her national profile expand in recent years and was running as a progressive in an ideological space between El-Sayed and Stevens, suspended her campaign amid faltering poll numbers and fundraising that weren’t keeping pace with her two main rivals.
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State Sen. Mallory McMorrow campaigns at the Michigan Democratic Nominating Convention in Detroit on April 19, 2026. (Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group)
McMorrow pledged to fully support whichever Democrat wins the primary and will ultimately face-off with Rogers, who is running for the Senate for a second straight cycle after losing in 2024 to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin by a razor-thin margin.
Following McMorrow’s announcement, Stevens praised her fellow Democrat by calling her an «important voice» for policies that benefit Michigan families. Stevens then argued that she is the strongest Democratic candidate to win the primary and defeat Rogers in November.
«As we enter the final month of the primary election, I’m excited to continue to make my case to Michiganders why I’m the strongest Democrat to defeat Mike Rogers this November, lower costs, protect manufacturing jobs, and stand up to Trump’s abuses of power,» she added.
As she runs for the nomination, Stevens has been backed by millions in super PAC spending, including big bucks from Israel-aligned groups.
MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALISTS LOOK TO TAKE NEW YORK PLAYBOOK NATIONWIDE AFTER PRIMARY VICTORIES
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks during the House Democrats’ news conference to introduce the Taxpayer Data Protection Act in the Capitol on Thursday, February 6, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In his statement, El-Sayed praised McMorrow for having the «courage» to challenge what he described as a rigged political system, accusing Democratic Party insiders of spending millions to influence the primary. While he did not name specific groups, the remarks appeared to reference corporate PACs and establishment party leaders such as Schumer.
He then invited McMorrow’s supporters to join his progressive movement to combat big money in politics and defeat the political establishment.
«Throughout this campaign, Senator McMorrow showed what it looks like to fight back against politics that rigs the system against too many of us. While we have policy disagreements, I never questioned whether Senator McMorrow would fight for a better America for my daughters and hers,» he said.
«The same party insiders she had the courage to challenge have been bullying anyone who opposes their chosen candidate. After spending $30 million to drown Senator McMorrow and me out, they’re now spending even more to attack me. It’s everything we are standing up against.»
«I welcome her supporters to our movement to stand up against money in politics, to put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for All. We cannot allow the establishment to decide our nominee for us.»
THESE MIDTERM RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS HOLD THEIR SENATE MAJORITY
El-Sayed, who, if elected, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator, is an epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018. He has made support for «Medicare-for-all» a major component of his campaign.
The far-left candidate has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is a vocal critic of Israel amid its war with Hamas — even characterizing Israel’s actions in Gaza as «genocide» against Palestinians.
And El-Sayed, who served as a top surrogate on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, has vowed not to accept PAC donations.
Abdul El-Sayed, speaks before Sen. Bernie Sanders and takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026, in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
Schumer and the party establishment view Stevens as more electable than El-Sayed, who has sparked controversy with his past comments. They worry that El-Sayed as the party’s nominee would jeopardize the Democrat-controlled Senate seat by pushing the party too far to the left in a state that President Donald Trump carried two years ago by just over one percentage point.
A victory by El-Sayed over Stevens in next month’s primary would give the far left a major win on a statewide stage, and further boost their momentum in the battle for the Democratic Party’s future.
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But Bennet warned against placing too much emphasis on the results in Michigan, as he pointed to other factors in the race.
«I don’t think that even if El-Sayed wins, that means the national party is moving dramatically to the left, as the left will insist if that happens,» he told Fox News Digital. «Some of this is idiosyncratic. There’s a huge Arab American population in Michigan. The Israel issue is more resonant there than it is in other places. And candidates matter.»
Fox News’ Hannah Brennan contributed to this story.
democrats elections, michigan, politics, alexandria ocasio cortez, chuck schumer, midterm elections, bernie sanders, republicans
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Panamá y Perú buscan dar un nuevo impulso a su relación comercial tras la llegada de Keiko Fujimori
El relanzamiento de la relación comercial entre Panamá y Perú fue el principal resultado de la primera reunión entre el presidente panameño, José Raúl Mulino, y la nueva mandataria peruana, Keiko Fujimori.
Ambos gobiernos acordaron revisar el Tratado de Libre Comercio (TLC), impulsar un acuerdo de cielos abiertos, fortalecer la cooperación portuaria y avanzar en la adhesión de Perú al Tratado de Neutralidad del Canal, con el objetivo de dinamizar el intercambio económico entre dos países que buscan estrechar sus vínculos comerciales y de inversión.
Durante el encuentro, celebrado horas después de la juramentación de Fujimori para el período 2026-2031, ambos mandatarios coincidieron en que Panamá y Perú son economías complementarias y expresaron su interés en dar un nuevo impulso al acuerdo comercial vigente desde 2012.
Mulino también planteó la necesidad de que Panamá salga de la lista fiscal en la que permanece incluido por Perú e invitó oficialmente a la presidenta peruana a participar en el Foro Económico CAF 2027, que se realizará en Panamá.
“Tenemos la disposición de seguir avanzando en nuestra agenda, desempolvar un poco nuestro tratado de libre comercio; yo me voy muy optimista de este nuevo impulso de la relación Perú-Panamá”, afirmó el mandatario panameño.
El acercamiento ocurre en un momento en que el intercambio comercial entre ambos países mantiene un amplio margen para crecer. Las exportaciones panameñas hacia Perú alcanzaron apenas $2,6 millones entre enero y mayo de 2026, de acuerdo con cifras oficiales.
En los últimos años, los envíos mostraron una evolución irregular: pasaron de $500.000 en 2021 a $2,2 millones en 2022, aumentaron a $8,7 millones en 2023 y alcanzaron $10,2 millones en 2024. En 2025, sin embargo, descendieron a $9 millones, reflejando la necesidad de fortalecer el intercambio bilateral.
Las cifras acumuladas entre 2021 y mayo de 2026 muestran que Panamá exportó a Perú $33,2 millones. Los medicamentos lideraron los envíos con $15,1 millones, equivalentes al 45,6% del total.
Les siguieron las preparaciones y conservas de carne con $4,4 millones; la leche y nata concentradas, con $3,6 millones; el ron y otras bebidas espirituosas, con $2,6 millones; el pescado congelado, con $2,1 millones; y las preparaciones de extracto de malta, con $1,4 millones.
También figuran cacao, desperdicios de plástico, estructuras metálicas, tomates preparados y productos de iluminación, lo que refleja una mayor diversificación de la oferta exportable panameña.
Perú, por su parte, mantiene una presencia mucho más sólida en el mercado panameño. Entre los principales productos que exporta al país destacan las uvas frescas, libros e impresos, cítricos, productos de panadería, conservas de pescado, láminas de plástico, alimentos para animales, pastas alimenticias, medicamentos y baldosas cerámicas, según la ficha comercial del Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias.
Solo en 2024, Panamá importó desde Perú mercancías por $118,1 millones, mientras sus exportaciones alcanzaron $10,6 millones, una diferencia que evidencia el desafío de equilibrar el intercambio comercial.
La relación económica entre ambos países también se apoya en la actividad de la Zona Libre de Colón, desde donde las reexportaciones hacia Perú alcanzaron $396,7 millones en 2024.
Los principales productos enviados fueron teléfonos celulares, cables eléctricos, medicamentos, perfumes, equipos de impresión y computadoras, consolidando a Panamá como una plataforma logística para el comercio regional.
Antes de reunirse con Fujimori, Mulino sostuvo encuentros con los presidentes de Chile, José Antonio Kast, y de Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz, con quienes abordó temas relacionados con la geopolítica regional, los efectos del fenómeno de El Niño y la situación política boliviana.
Con Paz conversó sobre la iniciativa panameña de convocar una reunión de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) para respaldar la estabilidad institucional de Bolivia, mientras que con Kast reafirmó el interés de fortalecer la cooperación bilateral.
La visita oficial marca el inicio de una nueva etapa en la relación entre Panamá y Perú. Más allá de los anuncios diplomáticos, el reto será convertir los acuerdos alcanzados en Lima en un mayor flujo de inversiones, una mejor conectividad y un incremento de las exportaciones panameñas hacia uno de los mercados más importantes de Sudamérica.
Panamá,exportación,logística,comercio,productos,Hecho en Panamá,trabajadores,contenedor,carga,envío
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Rep. Haley Stevens, R-Mich., repeatedly called Abdul El-Sayed the «celebrity» candidate in the Michigan Senate race during Monday’s Senate Democratic debate, arguing that El-Sayed’s podcast, books and political activism pale in comparison to her time in Congress.
The race between Stevens and El-Sayed has become a microcosm of the battle over the Democratic Party’s future. On Aug. 4, Democratic voters will decide whether to back Stevens, who has the support of the Democratic establishment, or El-Sayed, a socialist-supported challenger who has called for abolishing ICE and is strongly critical of the United States’ support for Israel.
In her opening remarks, Stevens rattled off her qualifications as the Democratic Party’s best chance of winning the Senate race, pointing to flipping her seat in 2018, being named Michigan’s most effective Democratic lawmaker by the Center for Effective Lawmaking in 2025 and being endorsed by Democratic Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
«My only focus is you,» Stevens said. «Abdul is running for celebrity. Republicans are propping up his campaign, and Mike Rogers, just the other day said in a secret phone call that he made it easier for him to win, that he’s the one he wants to run against.»
DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’
Retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., has abandoned his neutrality in Michigan’s high-stakes Democratic Senate primary, backing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, pictured left, as party leaders rally to stop progressive rival Abdul El-Sayed, pictured right, from winning the nomination. (AP Photo/Kristen Norman)
Stevens was referring to a phone conversation Republican candidate Mike Rogers had with supporters last month in which he said his campaign would be in «good shape» if El-Sayed were the nominee.
«Look, this isn’t about the D.C. or New York influencer crowd,» Stevens said. «This is about putting Michigan first.»
Later in the debate, Stevens said she is standing up to Trump’s «abuses of powers,» while taking a dig at Abdul by saying she’s doing so without «shouting into a bullhorn, not getting in front of the first camera I see, but doing the hard work.»
SWING-STATE POLL SPELLS TROUBLE FOR FAR LEFT AS SCHUMER-BACKED CANDIDATE DOMINATES WITH CRITICAL VOTING BLOCS
UNITED STATES – MAY 6: Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., speaks during a rally on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol to support research and policies for breast cancer treatment that are at risk by proposed Medicaid cuts, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«Look, my opponent here, Abdul, he is such a talented guy,» Stevens said, referring to his three books and his podcast America Dissected. «He’s had all this attention, but the deal is, we don’t need a celebrity candidate. We don’t need a celebrity.»
Stevens then pointed to her six years in the House of Representatives, saying she has been committed to «hard, unglamorous work.»
«That’s going to stand up to this junk that is wreaking havoc and causing chaos right before our very eyes,» Stevens said.
Stevens suggested that Abdul’s Senate campaign is just another «rung on the ladder» for him, pointing to his failed 2018 gubernatorial bid.
«It didn’t work out, so he started the podcast, he wrote the books, and now he’s running for Senate, and he’s already bought the website for president,» Stevens said.
In response, El-Sayed accused Stevens of «cowardice» over her past votes to increase ICE funding, saying the agency should be completely abolished.
MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE
«So yeah, I’m going to take the bullhorn and I’m going to say that I think we need to abolish ICE because I am not afraid of what they’re going to say about me,» he said.
He also suggested that Stevens’ focus on his public health podcast was a distraction from the issues that matter most to voters, such as affordability.
«Congresswoman, if you enjoy podcasts about public health, I welcome you to take a listen. You seem very concerned about that,» El-Sayed said. «I’m more concerned about the fact that people can’t pay for their gas, they can’t pay for their groceries.»
The open Senate race in Michigan has garnered national attention, with outside groups spending more than $52 million on the race through mid-July, most of it in support of Stevens, according to an OpenSecrets analysis of FEC reports.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, greet the crowd after El-Sayed spoke at The People V. The Powerful rally at the Detroit Opera House on July 18, 2026 in Detroit, Mich. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
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El-Sayed, who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., has painted Stevens as the candidate of large super PACs such as AIPAC, while saying he has not received a single dollar from corporate interests or super PACs. Before running for Congress, El-Sayed served as Wayne County director of Health and Human Services.
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Meanwhile, the Republican party has deemed Michigan to be one of best pickup opportunities in its effort to maintain control of the Senate.
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed and Stevens’ campaigns for comment.
midterm elections, gretchen whitmer, politics, michigan, elections
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Burma approves death penalty for scammers months after FBI’s $8 billion crypto crackdown
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Burma’s government approved the death penalty as punishment for internet scammers just months after the FBI announced a sweeping $8 billion crackdown on scam networks coming from the country, according to the country’s state-backed media.
The Anti-Online Scam Law passed the country’s parliament on Tuesday, green lighting the death penalty for anyone who participates in a scam that in which they «commit violence, torture, unlawfully arrest or detain, or treat any person in a cruel manner,» according to The Global New Light of Myanmar, a media outlet jointly operated by a private company and the country’s Ministry of the Interior.
Burma, also known as Myanmar, has become ground zero for digital scams, with criminals often recruiting migrants from other Asian countries with promises of legitimate work only to imprison them and force them to conduct the scams.
In May the FBI announced a massive crackdown on a criminal network in Burma known as the «Democratic Karen Benevolent Army.» The operation resulted in the seizure of 127,000 Bitcoin, worth over $8 billion as of July.
FBI BRINGS ALLEGED CHINA-LINKED HACKER TO US IN RARE EXTRADITION AS PATEL DEFENDS ITALY TRIP
Multinational victims of scam centers, who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stand on a vessel floating towards the Thai side of border via Moei River in Phop Phra District, Tak province, Thailand, on Feb. 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Krit Phromsakla Na Sakolnakorn)
The scammers, who allegedly have ties to Chinese organized crime, had been specifically targeting Americans in their operations, extracting over $3 million from one elderly American, the FBI previously told Fox News Digital.
In 2025, Chinese, Thai and Burmese authorities liberated more than 7,000 people from locked compounds in Burma.
NEW GERMANY SEX-CRIME FIGURES REIGNITE MIGRATION FIGHT AS EXPLOITATION PROBE EXPANDS
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar, stuck in limbo at a compound inside the KK Park, a fraud factory, and a human trafficking hub on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) in Myawaddy, Myanmar, Feb. 26, 2025. (REUTERS/Stringer)
While the new Anti-Online Scam Law only mandates the death penalty for offenses that lead to another person’s death, the law mandates 10-years in prison for any instance of forced labor in relation to cybercrime
The law’s approval also comes two days before the United Nations International Organization for Migration’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This year the international body will commemorate the day on July 30 under the theme «Trapped Behind the Scam.»
People from various countries, who were working in the KK Park compound in Myanmar, travel in a boat across the Moei river to cross over from Myanmar to Thailand, as seen from Mae Sot District, Tak Province area on October 24, 2025. (SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL/THAI NEWS PIX/AFP via Getty Images)
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«People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion. They deserve protection, not punishment,» IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement. «We must work together to support survivors, stop traffickers and close the gaps these criminal networks exploit. No country can tackle this alone.»
The United Nations estimate that South Pacific scams resulted in the loss of over $114 billion in 2025.
organized crime, crime, cybercrime, world, human rights
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