Monday, August 10th

Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Aug. 4 Democratic U.S. Senate primary, exposing progressive-moderate divisions as the party turns to November. Three days later, more than 1,000 attendees at a Detroit unity rally heard El-Sayed, statewide nominees and Pete Buttigieg urge Democrats to rally behind the ticket. El-Sayed said Sunday he had a “warm and inspiring” call with Barack Obama and hopes Obama campaigns with him against Republican Mike Rogers. Republicans are attacking El-Sayed over Medicare for All, Israel policy and COVID-19 restrictions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday that Israel rejects President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace 15-point Gaza plan, saying the IDF will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed. The U.S.-backed plan called for Hamas and other armed groups to give up weapons while Israel carried out a phased pullback from the territory. Netanyahu said disarmament must cover heavy, light and all other weapons, rejecting what he called “fictitious disarmament.” Trump had promoted the proposal last month as a breakthrough agreement for Hamas’s complete disarmament.

Iran said a maritime arrangement with Oman for the Strait of Hormuz is in its final stages, but Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it would not reopen the waterway unless the United States changes policy. Iranian officials tied reopening to conditions including ending U.S. sanctions, compensating wartime damage, permanently ending the conflict and withdrawing American forces from the region. Araghchi said Sunday there are no direct U.S.-Iran talks, only intermediary efforts to restart negotiations. The impasse undercut expectations of an imminent deal, lifting oil prices and pressuring U.S. stock futures.