Election Results, Stock Market Rally & Country Music Milestone - Wednesday, August 05, 2026

**Lacey Evans** (0:00)
Today is Wednesday, August 5th. We'll bring you the takeaways from yesterday's high-profile primaries, as results are still trickling in. Also, where wildfire danger is getting worse, and what caused two fires that leveled communities. Plus, what was behind a historic rally on Wall Street, how another food may have made hundreds of people sick, and what happens when the children of helicopter parents grow up? They apparently cause a real shift in the workplace. Those stories and even more news coming up.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Lacey Evans, filling in for Erica Mandy today. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
Votes are still being counted from yesterday's high-stakes primaries, and the most closely watched race still hasn't been called. We're talking about the Democratic primary for US. Senate in Michigan. It's being called this year's most significant test of how Democrats are leaning. It pits a progressive former health official against a more moderate Democratic congresswoman. Whoever wins will take on a former Republican congressman in the fall. And since Michigan is a battleground, that race could end up determining control of the whole Senate. By the way, progressive Democrats already scored one victory in Michigan. Climate activist William Lawrence beat two moderate Democrats in a House race, and now he'll face off against Republican Tom Barrett in what's also expected to be a competitive contest. Though, progressives didn't see the same kind of victory in Missouri. Centrist Congressman Wesley Bell easily fended off former Congresswoman Cori Bush, who was a Democratic socialist. Over in Virginia, Army veteran Burr Mizusawa won the Republican primary for US Senate. That means he'll go up against Democratic US Senator Mark Warner, who's running for a fourth term. In Kansas, United Methodist megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton won the Democratic nod to take on Republican US Senator Roger Marshall. No Democrat has won a Senate seat in Kansas since 1932
Of course, that just barely scratches the surface of races on yesterday's ballots. And as we mentioned, many results are still coming in. So stay tuned.
Hours before President Trump headlined a fundraiser in Los Angeles, authorities announced they stopped a security threat near the event. It happened at Trump's Rancho Palos Verdes golf course. Investigators say a man was spotted taking photos and video of the property over the weekend, while apparently monitoring the security preparations. Deputies say they found a pistol and illegal ammunition in the man's car. So law enforcement searched his home and found a plethora of weapons, magazines and ammunition, body armor and notebooks with what they referred to as concerning statements. But they haven't said whether the man was actually planning an attack. As of this morning, the suspect is in jail, pleading not guilty to all the charges against him. The investigation now involves the FBI, secret service and local authorities.
Firefighters in Washington state have been working around the clock to get a hold on fast growing wildfires, but they are still burning. Making matters worse, it's expected to get hotter today, and winds are expected to pick up by the end of the week. It's already believed up to 1,100 homes and other buildings have been damaged. At least 700 have been destroyed. Tens of thousands of people have had to evacuate their homes. Businesses and health care facilities, like the region's Veterans Affairs Hospital, have also had to clear out. And air firefighting units have had to be grounded because of drones in the area. The man accused of starting the most destructive fire in Spokane appeared in court yesterday. Authorities say tips from citizens led them to their suspect. But he's been suspected before. The man was questioned by law enforcement during two fire investigations last year, though he ended up not being charged in either of those. He also was convicted of manslaughter after killing his father back in 2010 and spent 10 years in prison. To be clear, he's only accused of starting one of the dozens of fires now burning in Washington and Oregon. But at least six are believed to have been caused by some kind of human activity. What exactly caused them is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, authorities now have the long awaited answer about what sparked one of California's deadliest wildfires. After an 18 month investigation, Los Angeles County fire officials confirmed last year's Eaton fire was caused by an out of service transmission tower that belonged to the utility company Southern California Edison. Investigators say bare uninsulated wires in the Idle tower sent sparks into dry vegetation below. The Eaton fire ended up killing 19 people, destroying nearly 10,000 homes and businesses and devastating much of Alta Dena. Southern California Edison says the new report is only one part of the story, though, and that other factors should also be considered, like how the fire spread, vegetation management, and emergency response. Still, the utility has already set up a fund to compensate fire victims.