Progress

Cal Fire official says Sunday was ‘big turning point’ to reduce blaze in Lake county, now 30% containedFirefighters made progress toward containing northern California’s Lucas fire, state officials said on Sunday.Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, which has burned more than 4,120 acres across Lake and Mendocino counties. The fire was 30% contained by Monday morning, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection, or Cal Fire. Continue reading...

• Tech stocks across Asia, Europe, and the United States declined after industry leaders raised safety concerns regarding "frontier" artificial intelligence technology. • Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called on other industry leaders to slow the pace of AI development to avoid losing control of the technology. • This shift in sentiment creates immediate financial volatility for investors and companies heavily invested in the rapid deployment of AI.

Michigan Senate nominee and others have re-energized one-time Democratic voters who abandoned the party under BidenTwo years ago, Zainab Bibi Ahmed thought she had turned her back on the Democrats for good. Now, she is volunteering for the party’s US Senate nominee in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.Ahmed was one of 100,000 people to vote uncommitted in the February 2024 Democratic Michigan primary, in a bid to send a message to then US president Joe Biden about his support for Israel, as people watched what Amnesty International later called a “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza on their screens. Continue reading...

First Muslim woman and Afghan American elected to California legislature held lead throughout race over main opponent Melissa HernandezSign up for the US Breaking News emailHello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.Following a bitter intra-party battle, progressive Aisha Wahab has been elected to Congress in a special election to fill the seat formerly held by Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April after facing sexual misconduct allegations (he has denied the allegations).Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, who turned on the president in 2019, when he compared him to a mobster during congressional testimony, executed another 180-degree turn, showering the president with praise during a friendly conversation between the two men on Cohen’s New York City radio show.The White House faced fresh questions over whether Donald Trump’s closest aide, Natalie Harp, had access to US government secrets without security clearance.At a Rose Garden event to promote Melania Trump’s advocacy for foster children, the first lady opened with a joked about her lack of recent public appearances, as her husband looked on with something less than rapt attention.One week after Trump ordered his navy secretary to redesign a new aircraft carrier, the USS Doris Miller - to scrap the modern electromagnetic system used to launch fighter jets, and install old-fashioned steam-powered catapults instead - CNN reports that the navy is considering another change to the same ship: removing the name of Miller, a Black sailor known for his heroism during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, and naming it instead the USS Donald Trump.The non-partisan Cook Political Report updated its midterm election forecast to rate the US Senate races in both Texas and Iowa, which had leaned in favor of Republicans, as toss ups that could break for Democrats. Continue reading...

• The FDA has approved Pasatru™ (garetosmab-grts) as the first and only treatment to reduce new heterotopic ossification (HO) lesions and clinician-assessed flare-ups in adults with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP). • The approval follows the OPTIMA Phase 3 clinical trial, a multinational study designed to evaluate the drug's efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in patients with active FOP. • This development is significant as it provides a targeted therapeutic option for a rare disease, supported by previous Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the FDA, EMA, and Japan's Ministry of Health.

• Tuesday's primary elections in Florida saw a progressive candidate secure an upset victory for the Democratic Senate nomination. • Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, endorsed by Donald Trump, won his party's nomination to become Florida's first Black governor. • These results highlight a continuing ideological divide within the Democratic party and the enduring influence of Trump over Republican nominations.

US president cancelled planned tariff imposition just hours before it was to come into force. Plus, why are people so obsessed with television vampires?Good morning. Donald Trump has paused his threatened punitive tariff on Canada just hours before it was due to come into effect. After Trump’s announcement, the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, said “substantial progress” had been made towards a trade deal, but more work was needed.Tuesday’s 11th-hour backdown comes after a contentious year for the two countries, with the longstanding alliance strained by tit-for-tat tariffs and online broadsides in which Trump has mused about wanting to turn Canada into a US state.How much trade do the two countries do? Historically, Canada and the US have been strong trading partners. In 2024, trade between the countries was estimated to be roughly $909bn, according to the office of the US trade representative.What else happened in Florida’s elections? Byron Donalds, a congressman backed by Trump, won the Republican nomination for governor in the race to succeed Ron DeSantis. Donalds trounced three reasonably prominent Republican rivals, including Jay Collins, DeSantis’s handpicked lieutenant governor. If he wins the November election, as he is expected to do in the conservative stronghold, Donalds would become the first Black governor in any southern US state. Continue reading...

• Saloni Dattani and Works in Progress examine the current state of medical progress and the systemic barriers hindering the development of new treatments. • The authors highlight that the process of running clinical trials has become increasingly slow and complicated, requiring rigorous successive stages of data collection. • This inefficiency matters because it delays the approval of life-saving drugs, preventing medical breakthroughs from reaching patients as quickly as possible.

Efforts of emergency services and military in Blaenavon appear to be working but there are fears for the futureMore than three weeks after it began burning and two days after the military deployed to the area, there is hope that the huge wildfire on the hillside above the Ebbw valley village of Blaenavon may finally be coming under control.Emergency workers and soldiers described a gruelling battle against the deep-seated peat fire that has spread over 4,000 hectares (9,800 acres), putting lives, farmland and property at risk. Continue reading...

Group backs Elijah Manley in primary election in bid to unseat veteran Democrat in newly drawn districtA progressive group has endorsed a 27-year-old substitute teacher who overcame childhood homelessness in his bid to unseat the veteran Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida.The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) said it is backing Elijah Manley in next week’s primary election in Florida’s newly drawn 20th congressional district, casting the race as a contest between a young economic populist and a stalwart of the Democratic party establishment. Continue reading...

State’s Democratic lieutenant governor bests Angie Craig in another election contest pitting a progressive against a moderatePeggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, won the Democratic primary for US Senate in the state, in another election contest that pitted a progressive against a moderate, this time with immigration issues at the center.The US Senate race in Minnesota, in which Flanagan ousted congresswoman Angie Craig, was yet another example of progressive campaigns toppling moderates as an anti-establishment wave continues across Democratic primaries. But the state’s race was also a response to the long shadow of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in January. Continue reading...

Tuesday’s competitions in Wisconsin and Minnesota follow similar battles for the direction of the party, including last week in Michigan where progressive Abdul El-Sayed triumphedSign up to the US Breaking News emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Democratic primaries for governor in Wisconsin and US senator in Minnesota will once again see left-wing candidates face off against more traditional ones.President Donald Trump departed on a secret military flight from Turkey last month when the White House said he was flying aboard ⁠Air Force One, an extraordinary move prompted by an Iranian assassination threat, the Washington Post reported on Monday.Trump signed an executive order that will involve splitting up the highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three single shots. The president also announced an overhaul to the childhood immunization schedule, scrapping recommendations for the hepatitis b, Covid-19 and influenza vaccines. He also suggested that the number of inoculations is linked to the rate of autism in the US, despite no proven link between the two. Medical experts have blasted the changes, calling it “problematic and deeply concerning.”Todd Blanche has been sworn as US attorney general, cementing Trump’s installation of his former personal attorney in charge of the Department of Justice. Blanche, who has been serving as acting attorney general since April, was confirmed in his new position during a ceremony at the White House on Monday.Trump has named White House staff secretary Will Scharf to become White ​House counsel and assistant to the president, replacing David Warrington, who is taking a job in the private sector. In taking up that role, Scharf will become the White House’s top lawyer after overseeing the administrative work of the Oval Office in his current position.Lawyers for David Hearn, the Olympian who was arrested for alleged property destruction of the reflecting pool before his charges were dropped, said that the Trump administration is “continuing to attack an innocent man”. Continue reading...

Francesca Hong is Democratic frontrunner in four-way primary race to lead the swing state, a test of anti-establishment sentimentWisconsin voters will decide on Tuesday whether to nominate a democratic socialist for the state’s highest office in the latest test of an anti-establishment wave among Democratic primary voters.Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, emerged as the frontrunner in a four-way race to succeed Tony Evers, the Democratic governor who is not seeking another term. Continue reading...

• The Sensex and Nifty remained steady at midday, supported by positive sentiment surrounding ongoing diplomatic talks between Iran and Oman. • Market stability was further bolstered by the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) decision to pause interest rates, despite mixed sectoral trends. • Global performance was varied, with Japan's Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropping 1.70% and 1.87% respectively, while Pakistan's KSE 100 rose 1.66%.

More than $5m in recent weeks have been spent in ads targeting Aisha Wahab and in support of Melissa HernandezSuper Pacs tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) have spent millions in a California congressional race to keep a progressive Democrat from winning Eric Swalwell’s former seat.Aisha Wahab, a state senator who has been endorsed by the California Democratic party, is widely considered the frontrunner in the special election for the district covering a swathe of the East Bay. Continue reading...

Abdul El-Sayed is latest leftwing candidate to capture nomination for November’s midterm elections. Plus: gender parity in Latin America’s city of cyclingGood morning.The progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has won the Democratic primary for the US Senate in Michigan. Despite many backing his opponent, Haley Stevens, in the race, leading Democrats are now uniting behind the former public health official with the goal of retaking control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections.What does El-Sayed’s victory mean for the Democratic party? Though a contentious general election, in a battleground state, awaits, his rise could serve as a revision to the political establishment’s prior playbook of requiring candidates to run from the center in swing-state politics.What do the Democrats need to retake the Senate? Republicans currently control the chamber with 53 lawmakers. The easiest path for Democrats to take back the Senate requires holding on to their seats in Michigan and Georgia while ousting Republicans from blue state Maine as well as three other red states.What was the vote? Schwartz was confirmed by a ⁠51-44 vote that broke largely along party lines, with Tim Kaine of Virginia the sole Democrat to support her nomination. Continue reading...

• European shares edged higher on Wednesday, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index rising 0.4% to reach 659.29. • Investors are closely monitoring a combination of new corporate earnings reports and ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the U.S.-Iran conflict. • The market movement reflects hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough that would end the war and reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane.

• International diplomatic talks have intensified to resolve the ongoing conflict involving Iran and secure safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz. • The situation is critical because the strait serves as a primary global artery for energy supplies, making any disruption a threat to international oil markets. • These negotiations aim to prevent military escalation and ensure the stability of global trade routes.

Democrats ‘united by a common purpose: putting a check on Trump’, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand sayAbdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primaryWhat we learned from midterm primary electionsLeading Democrats quickly papered over whatever qualms they had about progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed after his win in the Michigan Senate primary was confirmed on Wednesday, instead welcoming the former public health official as their champion against Republican nominee Mike Rogers.The state is now key to Democrats’s hopes of retaking control of the chamber in November’s midterm elections. Winning in Michigan would put them on the path to snarling Donald Trump’s legislative agenda and blocking his judicial nominees for the final two years of his presidency, while defeat could undermine their prospects of gaining a majority in the chamber for years to come. Rogers lost a Senate race in Michigan two years ago by a slim margin to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. Continue reading...

• CNN projects that progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, defeating Representative Haley Stevens. • El-Sayed, a doctor and former community health official, secured the nomination after a rigorous campaign that challenged the party establishment. • The victory is significant as it shifts the party's direction in Michigan and sets the stage for a general election battle against Republican Mike Rogers.

Activist who rallied around a datacenter moratorium will face incumbent Republican Tom Barrett in NovemberUS politics live – latest updatesWilliam Lawrence, a prominent environmental organizer who foregrounded his support for a datacenter moratorium, has won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s seventh congressional district in a victory for progressives.Lawrence was a co-founder of the youth-led climate justice organization the Sunrise Movement, the group that in 2018 mainstreamed calls for a Green New Deal to battle economic injustice while rapidly phasing out planet-warming fossil fuels. The 36-year-old defeated Bridget Brink, a former US ambassador to Ukraine and Slovakia, and Matt Maasdam, a former US Navy Seal and military aide to Barack Obama. Continue reading...

Optimism echoes Trump’s claims on Monday that deal is close as mediators say they are exchanging proposals Middle East crisis live – latest updatesUS and Qatari officials have said progress is being made in restoring a ceasefire in the US-Iran war and reopening the strait of Hormuz.The optimistic speculation on Tuesday brought oil prices down 2%, but the strait remained closed to shipping and a cargo vessel was reportedly struck by an unidentified projectile off Oman’s coast close to the strait. Continue reading...

• Several young stars from the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) are targeting moves to European clubs during the Summer 2026 transfer window. • Sebastian Berhalter has already completed a transfer, while Tyler Adams is among the players currently linked to potential moves. • These transfers follow a successful 2026 FIFA World Cup run where the USMNT broke records and reached the round of 16 on home soil.

• A benchmark study of 3,000 European IT decision-makers reveals that while Europe's overall digital maturity score rose to 69/100, fragmented data and content silos are hindering AI progress. • Despite growth in cloud and cybersecurity, content services maturity saw a sharp decline of 13 points to 56/100, marking the only category to drop. • This gap in digital foundations is critical because poor data infrastructure threatens to limit the full potential of enterprise AI transformation across the region.

• Indian badminton players HS Prannoy and Unnati Hooda advanced to the second round of the Taipei Open following straight-game victories in their opening matches. • Other notable Indian successes include Kiran George defeating Wang Po-Wei and Tharun Mannepalli securing a major upset by eliminating eighth seed Jeon Hyeok Jin of South Korea. • These wins ensure a strong start for India's singles campaign, maintaining multiple active challenges across the tournament draws.

• Progressive Democrats are increasingly bypassing traditional media outlets in favor of independent podcasts, social media, and digital news platforms to reach voters. • Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News, notes that these alternative channels allow insurgent candidates to gain visibility even when ignored by mainstream press. • This shift reflects a growing trend of progressive Americans swearing off legacy media, potentially altering the communication strategy for the upcoming midterms.

El-Sayed says in TV debate ‘ogre on a pike’ Zoom comment was in reference to John Fetterman, not Haley StevensThe Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said his comments that progressives need to put the head of an “ogre” on a pike was in reference to US Senator John Fetterman – not his opponent, Haley Stevens.In a televised debate on Monday, the final head-to-head before the state’s 4 August primary, the moderator asked El-Sayed whether he regretted his comments made in a Zoom meeting, in which he said, according to leaked audio published by Politico: “Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different.” Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has signaled a pause in military strikes against Iran to provide "some space" for diplomatic efforts and negotiations to progress. • Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei asserted that defending Hezbollah remains a strategic priority and demanded a "complete and unconditional" end to Israeli attacks. • Khamenei's letter accused the U.S. and Israel of oppression, claiming that "jihad and resistance" are the only viable paths forward for the region.