Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's 2026 U.S. Senate race, becoming the first Muslim elected to the Senate. The progressive former public health official, son of Egyptian immigrants, campaigned on Medicare for All, taxing billionaires and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. He withstood heavy AIPAC spending in the primary and Islamophobic attacks from Trump and other Republicans, and won despite primary rival Haley Stevens endorsing Rogers days before the election.

25 reports · 8 sources · Updated Nov 6, 08:15 PM UTC

Two days before the 2026 US midterms, Democratic Representative Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan, abandoning Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated her in the primary. Stevens said El-Sayed had made clear she was not welcome in his campaign, following disputes over Israel and a controversial ad. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it a "despicable betrayal," the Michigan Democratic Party chair said she is no longer a state party member, and President Trump praised her. Former campaign staffers condemned her, and El-Sayed's campaign reported a fundraising surge.

43 reports · 8 sources · Updated Nov 3, 04:33 PM UTC

New York prosecutors have reopened a criminal investigation into allegations that a Cornell University student was drugged with ketamine and gang-raped by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. The case was reopened after the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, filed a civil lawsuit against the university. Governor Kathy Hochul appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor, citing failures by local authorities. The accused men deny the allegations, with varying accounts of the night.

49 reports · 6 sources · Updated Oct 5, 04:04 AM UTC

In a rare bipartisan alliance, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump strategist Steve Bannon co-headlined the Future of Life Institute’s Pro-Human Assembly in Washington, D.C., calling for urgent legislation to slow AI development and keep it under human control. They warned of catastrophic risks including job destruction, bioweapons, and loss of control. Sanders urged President Trump to negotiate an AI development pause with China. The event highlighted growing cross-ideological concern over AI safety.

10 reports · 7 sources · Updated Sep 19, 10:00 PM UTC

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, attended the 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero despite calls from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and some victims’ families for him to skip it. Giuliani and Mamdani shook hands at the event. The ceremony focused on reading the names of the 2,983 victims, with all living presidents and mayors except Donald Trump and Eric Adams present.

10 reports · 6 sources · Updated Sep 11, 09:32 PM UTC