High-Stakes Primaries, Crowdsourcing Iran Strategies & Myspace Comeback - Tuesday, August 04, 2026

**Lacey Evans** (0:00)
Today is Tuesday, August 4th. We'll tell you all about key elections in five states today, including what some are calling the highest stakes Democratic primary of the 2026 midterms. Also, a new milestone in America's largest ever cyclospora outbreak, and the one page order that changed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation fight. Plus, why President Trump is criticizing big oil, which pop star is stepping out of the spotlight. And should you start picking your top eight? What we know about the return of MySpace. 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.
Today marks another big moment in the midterm election season, with voters in five states picking their party's nominees for important races this fall. The biggest spotlight is on Michigan. That's because a critical US. Senate race is becoming a national test of where Democrats want to go heading into the midterms. On one side, there's Congresswoman Haley Stevens. She's the more traditional Democratic candidate with support from US. Senate leaders like Chuck Schumer. On the other, there's Abdul Al-Sayed, a progressive former Detroit health official who has the backing of people like US. Senator Bernie Sanders. The winner will go up against former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers. He is already set to be the nominee after running unopposed, setting up what's expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate matchups this fall. Voters in Michigan are also picking their nominees for governor, among other races. But that's far from the only state to watch. Missouri similarly has a US. House race that's become part of the broader debate about the direction of the Democratic Party. It pits the progressive former Congresswoman Cori Bush against the more moderate current Democratic Congressman Wesley Bell.
And that's just one of several US. House races to watch in the state that's shifted more conservative in recent years. Meanwhile, in Virginia, voters are picking candidates for Congress after a major redistricting fight. You may remember Democrats there had hoped new maps would give them a better chance to flip several House seats. The state Supreme Court rejected that plan, meaning the election will move forward under the old district lines. Still, both parties in Virginia are watching several competitive House districts that could matter in the overall fight for control of Congress. Over in Kansas, voters are holding primaries for US. Senate and House seats, as well as governor. And in Washington state, voters are weighing in on competitive House races. Of course, we're just highlighting some of the biggest contests to watch. Many more federal and state positions are up for grabs today, as well as some local ballot measures.
Unfortunately, the parasite outbreak that's been growing around the country has now become deadly. Health officials in Michigan say two people with cyclosporiasis have died. Both of them had significant underlying health conditions that officials say may have been impacted by cyclospora and dehydration. More than 11,000 people have been sickened in Michigan alone, where cases have been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants. But the CDC has said it's also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses nationally that are unrelated to the one impacting Michigan and eight other states. Cyclosporiasis is typically not a life-threatening illness and deaths are uncommon in the US., but if left untreated, it can last anywhere from a few days to more than a month, and miserable symptoms like severe diarrhea can come and go.
It looks like President Trump's Attorney General nominee is now poised for confirmation. Last week, we told you a couple of Republicans weren't ready to vote for the acting AG Todd Blanche to take the job permanently. And without their support, Blanche wouldn't have enough votes to get confirmed, since Democrats are already united against him. Well, he made a key concession. Blanche formally scrapped the Trump administration's anti-weaponization fund. That fund would have sent roughly $1.8 billion to people who say they were targeted by politically motivated investigations. Blanche had already said the fund was dead after bipartisan backlash, but Republican senators John Cornyn and Tom Tillis wanted to see that in writing. So, the acting attorney general actually wrote a one-page order that the fund is, quote, rescinded and shall have no force of effect. And with that, Cornyn and Tillis now say they'll vote to advance Blanche's nomination. That vote is scheduled for today. But the controversy isn't over.
Some Democrats and legal experts argue the fund could still be revived in the future. That's because the original settlement President Trump made with the IRS hasn't been changed. And Trump didn't actually sign the latest order, only Blanche did. Meanwhile, the president has continued to defend the idea of compensating people he says were wrongfully targeted by the government. To be continued.