The Live-Shopping App That’s Got Some Users in Over Their Heads

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Alex Ossola (0:33)

A progressive candidate won in a closely watched Democratic Senate primary in Michigan. But what that means for the party's future is still unclear. Plus, Google shakes up the leadership of its AI operations as it struggles to keep pace with competitors' top models.

Users are flocking to the live auction app Whatnot, but some are getting in over their heads.

Hanna Krueger (0:55)

In over 43 days, he spent $1.4 million on Whatnot, and not for cards that he could resell.

Alex Ossola (1:02)

It's Wednesday, August 5th. I'm Alex Ossola for the Wall Street Journal. This is the PM Edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today.

A winner has been declared in the closely watched Senate primary in Michigan. It's progressive Abdul El-Sayed, with 99% of the expected vote tallied, El-Sayed beat out four-term Representative Hailey Stevens to win the Democratic nomination by a mere 1% margin.

Abdul El-Sayed (1:32)

So whether you voted for me or voted for my opponent or didn't vote at all, we're inviting you to that movement to get money out of politics so we can put money back in pockets and finally guarantee the promise of health care through Medicare for all.

Alex Ossola (1:47)

For more on what these results mean for the party, Journal reporter Terell Wright joins us now from the Capitol.

Terell, as we've been talking about on the show, Democrats were really looking to this race as a way to understand their path forward, whether the more progressive or moderate wings of the party would be resonating more with voters. El-Sayed, who was on the more progressive side, has won but by a margin that was smaller than some expected. So what message does this send to Democrats?

Terell Wright (2:13)

It sends a message that this internal battle is far from over. This morning's results are indicative that there is still a lot of hesitance with this insurgent left-wing message. But at the same time, his win signals that even in battleground states like Michigan, there is a desire for a new direction for the Democratic Party. There's a lot of dissatisfaction with House leadership, with Senate leadership. And we're seeing that play out throughout the country with voters, even in states that potentially are not going to be safe seats for Democrats.

Alex Ossola (2:47)

So El-Sayed will now face off against former Representative Mike Rogers in the November election. El-Sayed's victory is a key part of Democrats' plan to retake the Senate. So how good a chance does he stand to win?

Terell Wright (3:00)

A Democratic win in Michigan is by no means a guarantee. This is a purple state that President Trump has won twice, both in 2016 and in 2024

El-Sayed really did capture his strongest support from college-educated and wealthier Democratic voters in urban pockets outside of Detroit. In Detroit, he did not do as well. Stevens performed a bit better, and it really shows that El-Sayed has some weakness among Black voters. And Mike Rogers is a formidable candidate. President Trump appeared rather happy that El-Sayed did win.

But that's not to say that he does not really stand a chance of winning this race. There is a lot of dissatisfaction throughout the country of the Trump administration and Republicans broadly. So while there is hesitance from some moderate Democrats and some celebration from Republicans who think that this will be a victory for them, Mike Rogers has lost before in a race that President Trump won. And President Trump is not on the ballot this time. El-Sayed is going to have to really prove that while yes, he does come from a progressive background, he also understands and can capture the needs of more independent and moderate voters who might not want that same sort of fervor energy from their senators.

Alex Ossola (4:16)

That was WSJ reporter Terell Wright. Thank you, Terell.

Terell Wright (4:19)

Thanks.

Alex Ossola (4:19)

Separately in Washington, North Carolina Republican Chuck Edwards said he wouldn't seek re-election for his House seat. His announcement comes two days after an investigation from the House Ethics Committee concluded that the congressman had made unwelcome sexual advances to female staffers and recommended that he be censured by the full House. A spokesman for the Edwards campaign declined to comment on the House committee findings, but Edwards has previously denied any wrongdoing. Edwards said he would finish out his current term, and it wasn't immediately clear who would replace him as the Republican candidate on the November ballot.