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DSA’s third major primary win deepens Democrats’ fight over the party’s future

The far left is further emboldened as it takes on the establishment in a battle for the future of the Democratic Party

July 1, 2026 4:00am EDT / Fox News

By Paul Steinhauser

Melat Kiros wins Denver primary as debate over Democratic Party’s direction grows

Democratic socialist Melat Kiros wins the Denver primary against incumbent Diana DeGette. Tom Del Beccaro discusses the rise of progressive politics, featuring Hasan Piker, during ‘Fox & Friends First.’

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The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are taking their political playbook nationwide.

One week after DSA-aligned candidates scored ballot-box victories over establishment-backed contenders in two congressional primaries in New York City that grabbed outsized national attention, the group scored another major upset in a deep-blue U.S. House district in Denver, Colorado.

Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who was first elected to Congress in 1996 and took office in 1997, was defeated by DSA-backed Melat Kiros, a first-time candidate and former attorney who is 29 years old.

Kiros’ stunning victory comes a week after Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old progressive community organizer in New York City, ousted incumbent Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, another DSA-aligned contender, won a congressional primary to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez.

VICTORIES BY MAMDANI-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES SPOTLIGHTS GROWING RIFT IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Democratic congressional candidate Melat Kiros participated in a League of Women Voters Congressional District 1 candidate forum at Montview Presbyterian Church on May 28, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.(Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

The victories by Chevalier and Valdez, who were backed by socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, coupled with the win this week by Kiros, are further emboldening the far left as it takes on the center-left establishment in a high-stakes battle for the future of the Democratic Party.

Hasan Piker, the controversial, far-left streamer, at the Kiros primary night event in Denver, told Fox News, “I think progressive politics, left populism, a politics that centers the needs of the working class, can work in every district, in every state. That’s why I kept saying over and over again, it’s coming to a city near you.”

The latest DSA primary victory came in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, a Democrat-dominated seat anchored in Denver that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried by nearly 56 points in the 2024 election.

“Another Democratic Socialist is going to Congress!,”, the DSA touted in a social media post. “Congresswoman Kiros will take the fight for a better world to D.C: to Abolish ICE, free Palestine, and win Universal Childcare and Medicare for All.”

Kiros, who lost her job as a lawyer in New York after writing an essay critical of Israel, was also supported by Justice Democrats, the nearly decade-old political group known for heavily supporting “Squad” members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib as they toppled entrenched incumbents in their initial elections to Congress.

The right is targeting the Ethoipian-born Kiros for recent comments in which she said the 9/11 terrorist attacks were “inevitable” due to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

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From left, Wanda James, Diana DeGette and Melat Kiros participate in a League of Women Voters Congressional District 1 candidate forum at Montview Presbyterian Church on May 28, 2026, in Denver, Colorado(Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

University of Colorado regent Wanda James, who jumped into the Democratic congressional primary in April, finished third, in single digits in the First District Democratic primary.

Progressives also scored an impressive victory in the neighboring 8th Congressional District, a crucial swing seat which stretches along the I-25 corridor north of Denver.

State Rep. Manny Rutinel tallied a convincing double-digit victory over former state Rep. Shannon Bird, a more moderate candidate. Rutinel will now take on Republican Rep. Gabe Evans, who flipped the seat in the 2024 cycle.

The race is considered one of two or three dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its razor-thin House majority in the midterms.

Immigration was a top issue in the Democratic primary in a district where roughly 40% of the population is Latino. Rutinel criticized Bird for a vote she cast last year opposing a measure limiting cooperation between local and state law enforcement and ICE. And Rutinel was boosted by big spending from allies, including prominent Latino groups.

State Rep. Manny Rutinel won the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District.(Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

While Rutinel has tempered his previous support for top progressive issues, including Medicare for All and opposition to fracking, Republicans viewed him as the easier general election challenger than Bird. During the primary campaign, the right spotlighted pictures of him rallying alongside Mamdani.

“Democrats have chosen a far-left, radical socialist, Mamdani-wanna-be extremist — someone who supports eliminating oil and gas, defunding law enforcement, calling farmers and ranchers horrific, and threatening the industries that power our economy,” Evans charged in a statement.

Another primary showdown highlighting the split between progressives and moderates, as well as the party’s generational divide, was the Senate nomination battle between incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper, 74, and former state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a 43-year-old progressive.

Hickenlooper, a former Denver mayor and two-term governor, saw his once-large advantage over Gonzales, a one-time DSA member, narrow in the weeks ahead of the primary.

Hickenlooper prevailed and will now be the clear favorite in the general election against Republican state Sen. Mark Baisley, who was unopposed in his primary.

Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado won renomination in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate primary.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

But Gonzales saw a silver lining in defeat, writing in a statement, “My heart is full, knowing that we’ve put the Democratic establishment on notice: keep taking folks like us for granted at your own peril.”

Meanwhile, state Attorney General Phil Weiser topped U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in the expensive and combustible Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Weiser, who ran to Bennet’s left on certain issues, closed the gap with the senator as he spotlighted his efforts to take on President Donald Trump, including filing or joining dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration as attorney general. And Weiser painted Bennett, the one-time favorite in the race, as a DC insider doing too little to stand up to Trump.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.(Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Longtime Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital that “it is undeniable that progressives have built a coalition and have a message that can serve to buoy a candidate when they are an acceptable alternative to the status quo.”

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While plenty of mainstream Democrats have racked up primary victories in recent weeks, it is the far-left that’s grabbing the media spotlight. And that’s giving Republicans more ammunition as they portray all Democrats as radicals.

“The socialist takeover of the Democrat Party is no longer confined to deep-blue strongholds. The radicals are taking over battleground districts, putting must-win seats out of reach for Democrats and sinking their chances of flipping the House,”NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella said as he pointed to Rutinel’s victory.

Fox News’ Olivia Palombo and Matthew Donnell contributed to this report

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6399897967112

美中情局长将尖端AI比作核武 称AI正在重塑冲突形态

2026年7月1日 18:34 / 联合早报

美国中情局局长拉特克利夫说，尽管积极采用AI，中情局的决策仍将由人类主导，“只有人能决定正确方向”。 （路透社）

（华盛顿 / 旧金山综合电）美国中央情报局局长拉特克利夫誓言，要加大力度部署人工智能（AI）和量子计算技术，并强调新兴技术的飞速发展正在改变地缘政治的格局。

拉特克利夫星期二（6月30日）在华盛顿一场科技会议上罕见地发表公开讲话，承诺将对中情局进行组织架构调整，以更积极地应用尖端技术。他警告称，美国必须迅速行动，因为竞争对手也在竞相发展人工智能。

他将人工智能的能力比作“数码核武器”，称AI正在重塑冲突形态。

近几个月，美国国安机构越来越多地将尖端AI与核武器相提并论。多家智库指出，这已演变为一场真正的技术“军备竞赛”，即美国与中国及俄罗斯之间的角逐。

拉特克利夫透露，中情局过去六个月已进行约400项技术合同采购，目标是在半年内完成其中大部分交易，缩短此前长达24个月采购加九个月安全审查的流程。

虽然拉特克利夫没有透露任何新的承包商，但他特别赞扬SpaceX的能力，并表示在上任初期就已邀请SpaceX创始人马斯克以及亚马逊、谷歌和戴尔科技公司的高管访问中情局。

他说，为加速部署AI，中情局加强与私营企业沟通，推出新的采购框架，并推动机构内部数据标准化。

彭博社指，拉特克利夫这番言论与特朗普此前发布的备忘录基调基本一致。该备忘录要求政府各机构迅速采用多家供应商的技术，同时确保相关技术服务不会中断。

拉特克利夫也说，尽管积极采用AI，中情局的决策仍将由人类主导，“只有人能决定正确方向”。

Anthropic将恢复Fable5和Mythos5访问权限

同一天，美国AI公司Anthropic在社媒发文宣布，美国政府已解除对其高性能AI模型Fable 5和Mythos 5的限制，公司很快将在全球范围内恢复对这些模型的访问权限。

过去几个星期，特朗普政府以国家安全为由，限制美国主要科技公司发布先进模型，其中包括Anthropic的模型。一些研究人员担心，这些模型可能被利用来绕过网络安全防护措施。

美国商务部长卢特尼克星期二致函Anthropic，表示政府对公司的紧密配合，采取安全防护措施应对与Fable 5和Mythos 5相关的风险，感到满意。

Anthropic的竞争对手OpenAI上周也在白宫压力下，将新一代旗舰模型GPT-5.6的发布限制在一小群受政府核可的“可信伙伴”范围内。

New disease threats follow Trump administration’s health program cuts

2026-07-01T05:00:00-0400 / https://www.cbsnews.com/news/disease-threats-trump-administration-health-program-cuts/

As beachgoers flock to water during the busy July Fourth weekend, danger could be lurking in some areas.

Researchers this spring discovered flesh-eating bacteria in water in several coastal locations across New York’s Long Island, and town officials in the Hamptons vacation destination posted an alert about the findings. Eight people in Florida have been infected this year, and Mississippi health officials in June urged people to take precautions.

About 1 in 5 people infected by the bacteria die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet. The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, can enter open wounds and cause tissue death and systemic sepsis.

“Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation,” the CDC says.

The risk of such public threats is mounting because climate change is expanding the territory of certain pathogens, but researchers say there’s another concern. The Trump administration has cut investments in programs and agencies that prevent, track, and respond to health hazards the federal government is now confronting.

Consider the reemergence of screwworm, which can infest and kill livestock, in the U.S. in June. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lost 18% of its workforce in the first six months of 2025, according to a report from the USDA’s Office of Inspector General, and the agency’s winnowed-down inspection service is helping lead the response to the parasite.

Or malaria. A freeze on foreign aid disrupted international malaria prevention efforts, and new federal guidance in May warned that the U.S. is vulnerable to the reintroduction of the infectious disease.

And when it comes to Vibrio, the Trump administration began removing hundreds of deep-sea instruments that monitor ocean waters and yield data that helps predict conditions that can allow the bacteria to flourish. Researchers have used the data to study Vibrio, which can multiply rapidly when water temperatures and salinity increase.

“It is important to track coastal temperatures, and that will relate to the distributions of Vibrio,” said Christopher Gobler, a professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at New York’s Stony Brook University, though he added that there are also other sources of data for researchers.

The Trump administration reversed its plan to dismantle the ocean monitoring system following bipartisan opposition to the effort in Congress.

But it’s still curtailing Vibrio surveillance. The life-threatening species that’s found in water can also sicken or kill people who eat contaminated seafood, such as raw oysters infected with the bacteria. And infections from Vibrio vulnificus linked to consuming raw or undercooked shellfish have been increasing as the presence of other pathogens in food decrease.

Since 1995, 10 states have participated in a federal program called the Foodborne Disease Active Disease Surveillance Network, or FoodNet. The program, with the CDC, monitors and track cases of foodborne illness caused by eight specific pathogens, including Vibrio. But last year the Trump administration stopped requiring those states to report on all but two pathogens, which means states no longer must report cases to the CDC.

Federal officials deny the moves are putting Americans at risk, saying the CDC continues to monitor these pathogens through other national surveillance systems to ensure ongoing visibility into disease trends and outbreaks.

Meanwhile, some former health leaders say the ramifications of sweeping cuts to health agencies and global prevention programs are becoming more apparent, undermining U.S. response efforts and initiatives that aim to safeguard the country from diseases.

“We are letting down defenses that were necessary to protect against microbial threats,” said Tom Frieden, a former CDC director who is now president and chief executive of Resolve to Save Lives, which works to stop preventable disease. “Instead of protecting, we’re doing the opposite.”

Do limited resources mean higher risks?

The administration defends its actions, including massive layoffs at government health agencies, as necessary to eliminate wasteful spending.

The Department of Health and Human Services “is advancing the most significant public health reforms in a generation focused on prevention, accountability, scientific transparency, and better health outcomes,” agency spokesperson Emily Hilliard said in an email. “The Department is putting American families at the center of public health decision-making.”

Evidence suggests health risks are rising even as the Trump administration pulls back on resources for research, detection, and response.

Early in his administration, President Trump opted to freeze and review work on global health programs. Mr. Trump’s cost-reduction effort, led by billionaire Elon Musk, also dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development.

As a result, work was disrupted on the President’s Malaria Initiative, a George W. Bush-era program aimed at combating malaria in hard-hit countries that is credited with saving more than 11 million lives. USAID had invested more than $9 billion in the program since 2005.

In addition, 80% of USAID grants for global malaria programs were targeted for termination, according to KFF, an independent research group that includes KFF Health News. The report didn’t include data on the total value of those specific malaria grants.

And the spending freeze halted research for more effective malaria vaccines. The administration dissolved the CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, shuffling staffers to other divisions and interrupting work on the disease. HHS didn’t respond to an email asking how many staff members had been moved.

The life-threatening infectious disease spread by mosquitos was eradicated from the U.S. in 1951. But the CDC’s updated guidance on investigating domestic cases warned in May that “the country remains susceptible to malaria reintroduction.”

An outbreak in 2023 resulted in 10 people in Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, and Texas becoming infected locally, and mosquitoes capable of transmitting malaria are found throughout most of the country.

“The majority of U.S. residents lack protective immunity against malaria, rendering persons susceptible to severe illness and death if infected,” the CDC said in the May report.

HHS declined to comment on any of the specific cuts but said the CDC works with domestic and international partners to reduce the burden of malaria and prevent its reestablishment in the U.S.

It’s not just cuts to funding that are raising health risks, say researchers and former health officials. Significant staffing cuts mean there are fewer people working on preventing or tracking diseases, they say.

“Yes, the programs have been cut in terms of reduction in staff, but I would say, equally important, you have reductions in expertise,” said Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “It’s irreplaceable.”

Screwworm is a species of parasitic blowfly producing larvae that can enter open wounds and devour tissue, infecting people and animals. Like malaria, it has long been eliminated in the U.S., and disease monitoring efforts have been key to keeping it out.

The cuts at USAID stripped more than $300 million from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, which focuses on global food security and the monitoring of zoonotic diseases such as screwworm.

In the wake of the administration’s cost-cutting initiatives, more than 20,000 employees are gone from the USDA, which develops and implements agriculture policy and provides resources to producers of livestock vulnerable to the parasite.

On June 3, the first new case of screwworm in the U.S. was confirmed, and there have now been more than a dozen animals infected with parasite. An expanding outbreak could devastate the cattle industry.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has denied that any staffing cuts during the Trump administration have led to screwworm’s return. Instead, she has blamed the Biden administration, saying it didn’t do enough to prevent reintroduction into the U.S. Rollins said on X that “uncontrolled illegal migration” under the previous Biden administration was partly to blame, providing no evidence.

The USDA did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Ashish Jha, a doctor who served as the White House covid response coordinator during the Biden administration, said there’s no truth to the claim that immigrants lacking legal status have brought screwworm into the U.S.

Investments in tracking and combating diseases have suffered, he said, because HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is prioritizing the prevention of chronic disease at the expense of efforts to curtail infectious disease.

“Who doesn’t want a healthier country? It sounds great, but it’s kind of a bait and switch,” Jha said. “They’re doing the opposite. They’re letting down our defenses that are necessary to protect us against microbial threats.”

HHS’ Hilliard disagreed, saying Kennedy’s actions are making the agency more effective.

“Secretary Kennedy is delivering that reform by streamlining operations, reducing redundancies, and returning HHS to pre-pandemic staffing levels,” she said. “At the same time, he is dismantling policies and incentives that contributed to a nationwide chronic disease epidemic.”

Surveillance gaps

Jha pointed to Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the World Health Organization, which coordinates global responses to public health issues and crises, and to the dismantling of USAID.

The pullback has had implications for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, aid workers say.

Without the same amount of funding from USAID, the International Rescue Committee, which partners to deliver front-line health, surveillance, and outbreak preparedness activities in Congo, curtailed its programs.

“Funding cuts have left the region dangerously exposed,” Heather Reoch Kerr, IRC’s country director for Congo, said in a statement.

The outbreak is roughly 7,000 miles away, but its spread has the U.S. on alert, with stepped-up surveillance and entry restrictions on airline travelers. Federal officials have said that the dismantling of USAID hasn’t hampered detection or response.

“The U.S. government continues to move aggressively to contain the Ebola outbreak at its source in order to protect the American people and prevent further international spread,” the State Department said in a May 23 statement.

Mr. Trump’s decision to disengage with the WHO was criticized by health leaders following a hantavirus outbreak this spring on a cruise ship that had set sail from Argentina. Some said the federal response was too slow, and they questioned why the president suggested creating a costly new global disease surveillance system rather than sticking with the WHO — especially, they say, when the U.S. is cutting back on the surveillance programs it already has.

The federal government has tracked Vibrio cases as part of the FoodNet program, which aims in part to identify and curtail outbreaks. Reporting on cases of Vibrio is now optional.

Close to half of the cases of foodborne illness caused by Vibrio vulnificus have resulted in death, and some within 24 hours after consumption of tainted shellfish such as raw oysters. The bacteria can multiply rapidly, leading to septic shock and blistering skin lesions. The pathogen is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

The CDC estimates that about 80,000 cases of Vibrio infection occur annually, with infections from the most severe species,Vibrio vulnificus, steadily rising. Over the past five years, that species has led to 429 cases due to infections of open wounds and 135 cases from contaminated food.

“The more surveillance you get, you can connect the dots,” said Bill Marler, a Seattle-area food safety lawyer. “If a tree falls in the woods and you don’t hear it, did the tree fall? It’s easier not to report diseases. Then they can say, ‘Look at how safe our food supply is.’”

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

How a new super PAC formed to counter AIPAC is fueling democratic socialists’ wins

2026-07-01T08:00:25.638Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/01/politics/american-priorities-aipac-democratic-socialists

Two years ago, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent millions of dollars through its super PAC to defeat two vocal critics of Israel, Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman of New York.

“AIPAC, I’m coming to tear your kingdom down,” Bush vowed in her concession speech.

Now AIPAC’s opponents believe that they are on the offensive – and a new group called American Priorities has a lot to do with it.

The super PAC, which started just six months ago, has quickly emerged as an influential force in House Democratic primaries, spending at least $5.6 million to boost Democrats who are fiercely critical of Israel, its war in Gaza and AIPAC’s influence in Democratic primaries. American Priorities helped two democratic socialists – Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez – pull off wins in the recent New York primaries and also chipped in to help a third, Melat Kiros, defeat Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette on Tuesday.

The group’s spending is still dwarfed by that of AIPAC’s super PAC, the United Democracy Project, which has spent at least $34 million this election cycle. The two sides have not gone head-to-head in many primaries yet, picking their fights more pragmatically. But to progressives who had gotten used to being vastly outspent, American Priorities has become something of an unexpected savior.

The 2024 election year was a “bruising cycle for us, but it was a real building cycle,” said Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, a progressive group that is often aligned with American Priorities in primaries. “We are seeing this cycle the fruits of this labor.”

A spokesperson for American Priorities said the group was created out of a belief that there was “nothing close to a countervailing force” to AIPAC in primaries.

“The idea was to build a spending force that would back people who speak plainly about what most Democratic voters – and indeed most Americans – already believe, so that telling the truth stops being the thing that gets you outspent three to one,” the spokesperson, Greg Krieg, said in a statement.

American Priorities poses an ideological test for progressives who have long denounced not just AIPAC’s spending, but also all big money in politics. So far, that has been the basis of AIPAC’s response to American Priorities.

“The same scrutiny that’s applied to the AIPAC super PAC should be applied to anti-Israel dark money as well,” Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for United Democracy Project, told CNN in response to requests for comment for this story.

Asked whether American Priorities was having an impact on AIPAC’s strategy in primaries, Dorton said the super PAC makes “our own independent decisions based on evaluating each race.”

Bush, who is making a comeback bid for her old seat in an August primary, told CNN recently that she does not know much about American Priorities but that AIPAC’s opponents now know they “need to go full force” to combat its influence.

“I truly believe that we need to get the big money out of politics,” Bush said. “But right now, having a counterweight to AIPAC and … the big cryptocurrency folks and big real estate, big pharma, the war profiteers, ICE contractors … will be useful to us because often one of the issues we have is we are grassroots.”

American Priorities has raised $5.5 million as of June 3, according to its filings with the Federal Election Commission. That’s a modest sum compared to the eight-figure funding of AIPAC’s super PAC, which spent nearly $6 million alone in one recent House primary in Maryland in which its preferred candidate won.

But American Priorities’ willingness to spend upwards of $1 million in individual races – and to spend at critical junctures in campaigns – represents a new capacity for the anti-AIPAC left. Operatives say its aggressiveness was especially crucial in Avila Chevalier’s primary, where she faced a fierce late ad blitz – partly funded by AIPAC – focused on her past controversial tweets.

American Priorities ran multiple TV and digital ads in the primary’s final days, emphasizing Avila Chevalier’s support from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and contrasting with the incumbent, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, as tougher against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Justice Democrats said in a statement that Avila Chevalier would not have won “without the support of American Priorities.”

American Priorities has spent in eight primaries, including for democratic socialist Chris Rabb for an open House seat in Philadelphia and Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam in her primary challenge to North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee. Rabb won while Allam’s race has been American Priorities’ only loss so far, coming after the group spent $1 million backing her.

The group made a late play in Tuesday’s Colorado primaries, spending $150,000 on TV ads boosting Kiros in the final week.

Justice Democrats and American Priorities are part of a constellation of groups that are working more closely after 2024 to combat AIPAC, also including Sen. Bernie Sanders’ political team and the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project. Amira Hassan, political director for a new PAC affiliated with the policy project, said “one of the big lessons in this cycle is it takes all of us being on the same page and being highly, highly in coordination.”

American Priorities, however, has stood out for its money.

The super PAC’s top donors, at $1 million apiece, have been Omer Hassan and Mohammad Waqas Javed. Little is publicly known about them, and the information they have provided the FEC is minimal: Waqas identifies as a resident of New York City and the CEO of Showcase Commerce Inc. – a company with little public footprint – while Hassan identifies as a retiree from Redwood City, California.

Both were also top donors to a super PAC that supported Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign, giving about $250,000 each.

Neither donor responded to requests for comment. But a person close to American Priorities, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss its donors, said many of its contributors weren’t very politically active until Mamdani’s campaign, which was the “moment that inspired them and brought them into the fold.” Emboldened by Mamdani’s win, they began strategizing about how to influence the party nationally on the issue of Palestinian human rights.

They also want to show the Democratic Party should not take Muslims for granted, the person said.

“Part of it’s Palestine, part of it’s countering AIPAC, but it’s also about giving a long-overlooked community, which is critical to any Democratic majority, a real voice in our politics,” the person said.

American Priorities has spent the most so far in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 12th District, where it backed Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon who volunteered at a Gaza hospital during the war. Hamawy started the primary as a political unknown, but after $1.6 million in spending from American Priorities, he finished ahead of a dozen other candidates and is now likely headed to Congress because the district heavily favors Democrats in November.

American Priorities ran ads that highlighted Hamawy’s medical background, including in Gaza, and his support from Sanders, who said in one spot that Hamawy has “the guts to stand up to the political establishment.”

“American Priorities was extremely helpful in this election,” said Vincent Vertuccio, a senior strategist for Hamawy’s campaign. “It was a really pleasant surprise and something that we’re really glad to see.”

Hamawy served as a defense witness in the trial of Omar Abdel-Rahman, a blind cleric who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in a case related to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Hamawy’s campaign has said he condemns Abdel-Rahman’s actions and rhetoric, saying Hamawy knew the cleric before his arrest as part of a closeknit Muslim community in New Jersey.

The runner-up in Hamawy’s primary, East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, is a self-described AIPAC member who was open in his support for Israel but said the party should focus on issues more important to voters on a daily basis. He said he was “disappointed” AIPAC did not spend in the primary, calling it a “race where their influence would’ve mattered.”

“I could not nearly have competed on that level” with American Priorities, Cohen said. “(Hamawy) was everywhere.”

Dorton, the spokesman for the United Democracy Project, declined to comment.

Cohen and other candidates who have gone up against candidates backed by American Priorities argue its spending flies in the face of long-running progressive promises to rid politics of big money.

After the group started spending in the primary for Valdez in New York’s 7th Congressional District, two other candidates – Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and City Councilwoman Julie Won – issued a joint statement accusing Valdez of breaking a pledge to reject super PAC support. “The hypocrisy is staggering,” they said.

Vertuccio said that campaign finance reform is still progressives’ “north star,” but they “have an obligation to use every tool at our disposal to win” in the meantime.

Critics of American Priorities have also increasingly focused on one of the group’s donors, Texas businessman Hussein “Sam” Mahrouq, because in addition to giving the group $625,000, Mahrouq also donated $125,000 in 2024 to his state’s top two Republican leaders, Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Won and Reynoso said Valdez was “benefiting from a super PAC funded by a MAGA Republican megadonor.” Espaillat alluded to Mahrouq multiple times in debates against Avila Chevalier.

Avila Chevalier, speaking in one of those debates, said she did not know about American Priorities’ spending until she read about it in The New York Times. But she said it did not surprise her.

“It makes sense that there are Democratic donors out there, who, just like Democratic voters, want to fight back against AIPAC and its influence over our democracy,” she said.

Mahrouq is an auto industry entrepreneur who has said he was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. In response to a list of questions over email, he called himself an “independent businessman” whose political giving is guided by beliefs including “a US foreign policy in the Middle East that respects the dignity of all people in the region.”

“I understand people may try to read contributions through a partisan lens, but that’s never been my approach – I support people, not parties, and over the years I’ve backed leaders from different backgrounds whose values I believed would strengthen the great state of Texas and our country,” he said.

Krieg, the American Priorities spokesperson, downplayed the idea that the super PAC was beholden to any single donor. He said the group “raises from a pool of people – there’s no billionaire dictating decisions here – so there’s real variety in who’s involved.”

American Priorities declined to say which primaries it is targeting next. But many in the anti-AIPAC movement are looking ahead to Bush’s primary in Missouri against Rep. Wesley Bell, who defeated her in 2024, and the primary for Senate in Michigan. Both are on August 4.

In Michigan, AIPAC’s super PAC has already spent over $7 million boosting Rep. Haley Stevens against Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit public health director. El-Sayed is a vocal critic of Israel who has touted himself as “dangerous” to AIPAC.

Krieg said the circumstances in Michigan make it “exactly the kind of place a group like ours ends up mattering.”

朝鲜派兵援俄打乌 传已近半逾7000官兵伤亡

2026年7月1日 19:55 / 联合早报 姜贵瑛 首尔通讯员

根据朝俄2024年6月签署的《全面战略伙伴关系条约》，朝鲜累计向库尔斯克派遣约1万5000名士兵，若按乌方数据计算，伤亡比例已接近五成。 （路透社）

乌克兰消息称，朝鲜派往俄罗斯库尔斯克州支援乌克兰战争的约1万5000名官兵中，累计死伤已逾7000人，派遣兵力折损近半，明显高于韩国和西方情报机构此前估算。

乌克兰《基辅独立报》星期一（6月29日）援引乌克兰国防部情报总局消息报道，2024年至2025年派往库尔斯克州的朝军，累计伤亡超过7000人。乌情报总局此前报告也统计，截至今年5月，朝军伤亡达7058人，其中阵亡2251人、受伤4807人。

韩国和西方情报部门认为，朝军伤亡最密集的时期，是2024年8月至2025年3月乌军攻入库尔斯克州期间。当地部分地区一度遭乌军突袭并控制，最终却因面临俄朝联合作战、补给困难等因素被迫撤离。

根据朝俄2024年6月签署的《全面战略伙伴关系条约》，朝鲜累计向库尔斯克派遣约1万5000名士兵，若按乌方数据计算，伤亡比例已接近五成。这一数字高于韩英此前评估。

韩国国家情报院去年4月曾向国会报告，朝军死伤约4700人，并于同年9月推算阵亡人数约2000人。英国国防情报局则认为，朝军在库尔斯克战死或受伤人数可能已超过6000人。

疑派兵援俄换来资金原材料 平壤城建与消费近日异常活跃

俄罗斯和朝鲜最初一直否认朝军投入乌克兰战争；直至2025年4月朝鲜首次正式承认派兵后，俄罗斯总统普京才公开感谢朝鲜军队，并称俄方“永远不会忘记朝鲜特种部队的贡献”。

去年6月底，朝鲜首次公开朝军赴俄参战画面，包括最高领导人金正恩在覆盖国旗的棺木前默哀以及库尔斯克战场影像。不过，也有观点认为，朝鲜当局事先并未向士兵及其家属如实说明赴俄参战情况，而是在严密的信息管控下隐瞒相关事实。

韩国A频道星期二（30日）报道，近期平壤街头车流不断、高楼灯火通明，道路频繁拥堵，工程车辆和客运车辆往来穿梭，汽车卖场及停车场内停满车辆。分析认为，这可能与朝鲜向俄罗斯派兵及出口武器换取资金和原材料、带动“派兵特需”效应有关，城市建设和消费活动也因此持续回暖。

另外，韩国正与乌克兰加快协商，希望接回目前仍被乌方关押的两名朝鲜战俘。

韩国外长赵显星期二在首尔与到访的乌克兰外长瑟比加举行会谈，双方就战俘处理问题交换意见，并确认应尊重两人赴韩意愿，在符合国际法和人道主义原则的基础上推动此事。

朝鲜派兵援俄打乌 传已近半逾7000官兵伤亡

2026年7月1日 19:55 / 姜贵瑛 首尔通讯员

根据朝俄2024年6月签署的《全面战略伙伴关系条约》，朝鲜累计向库尔斯克派遣约1万5000名士兵，若按乌方数据计算，伤亡比例已接近五成。 （路透社）

乌克兰消息称，朝鲜派往俄罗斯库尔斯克州支援乌克兰战争的约1万5000名官兵中，累计死伤已逾7000人，派遣兵力折损近半，明显高于韩国和西方情报机构此前估算。

乌克兰《基辅独立报》星期一（6月29日）援引乌克兰国防部情报总局消息报道，2024年至2025年派往库尔斯克州的朝军，累计伤亡超过7000人。乌情报总局此前报告也统计，截至今年5月，朝军伤亡达7058人，其中阵亡2251人、受伤4807人。

韩国和西方情报部门认为，朝军伤亡最密集的时期，是2024年8月至2025年3月乌军攻入库尔斯克州期间。当地部分地区一度遭乌军突袭并控制，最终却因面临俄朝联合作战、补给困难等因素被迫撤离。

根据朝俄2024年6月签署的《全面战略伙伴关系条约》，朝鲜累计向库尔斯克派遣约1万5000名士兵，若按乌方数据计算，伤亡比例已接近五成。这一数字高于韩英此前评估。

韩国国家情报院去年4月曾向国会报告，朝军死伤约4700人，并于同年9月推算阵亡人数约2000人。英国国防情报局则认为，朝军在库尔斯克战死或受伤人数可能已超过6000人。

疑派兵援俄换来资金原材料 平壤城建与消费近日异常活跃

俄罗斯和朝鲜最初一直否认朝军投入乌克兰战争；直至2025年4月朝鲜首次正式承认派兵后，俄罗斯总统普京才公开感谢朝鲜军队，并称俄方“永远不会忘记朝鲜特种部队的贡献”。

去年6月底，朝鲜首次公开朝军赴俄参战画面，包括最高领导人金正恩在覆盖国旗的棺木前默哀以及库尔斯克战场影像。不过，也有观点认为，朝鲜当局事先并未向士兵及其家属如实说明赴俄参战情况，而是在严密的信息管控下隐瞒相关事实。

韩国A频道星期二（30日）报道，近期平壤街头车流不断、高楼灯火通明，道路频繁拥堵，工程车辆和客运车辆往来穿梭，汽车卖场及停车场内停满车辆。分析认为，这可能与朝鲜向俄罗斯派兵及出口武器换取资金和原材料、带动“派兵特需”效应有关，城市建设和消费活动也因此持续回暖。

另外，韩国正与乌克兰加快协商，希望接回目前仍被乌方关押的两名朝鲜战俘。

韩国外长赵显星期二在首尔与到访的乌克兰外长瑟比加举行会谈，双方就战俘处理问题交换意见，并确认应尊重两人赴韩意愿，在符合国际法和人道主义原则的基础上推动此事。

驾车撞伤多名墨西哥球迷 涉事驾驶伤重不治

2026年7月1日 15:35 / 新明日报

黑色轿车撞向人群导致多人受伤，涉事驾驶者最终伤重不治。 （路透社）

（卡波圣卢卡斯综合电）上周驾车撞向墨西哥球迷群，导致包括自己在内，共17人受伤的驾驶者，被证实在事故中伤重不治。

据墨西哥南下加利福尼亚州洛斯卡沃斯市议会的秘书长桑塔纳说，这名驾驶者于当地时间星期二（6月30日）早晨死亡。

事故发生在墨西哥战胜捷克的上星期四（25日）晚上，大批人群聚集在卡波圣卢卡斯一处热门旅游区庆祝墨西哥获胜。

社交媒体发布的多段视频显示，在码头附近一片酒吧区的街道上，一辆黑色轿车被困，人们摇晃、敲打车辆，并向其投掷物品。随后，这辆车加速冲入人群，撞倒多人，之后又撞上一排隔离柱。人群将车内的人拉出并进行攻击，也有多人受伤倒地。

桑塔纳此前在关于事故的更新中说，截至上星期六（27日）晚上，仍有五人住院，其中包括这名驾驶者。他也在最新声明中向驾驶者的家属表示慰问。

取得小组第一出线后，墨西哥在新加坡时间星期三（7月1日）顺利在32强赛，以2比0打败厄瓜多尔，挺进16强赛。

点击《联合早报》世界杯专页，获知世界杯比分、赛程和最新新闻等资讯。

据报俄罗斯高层批准与中国秘密军事训练

2026年7月1日 15:37 / 联合早报

据两名欧洲官员和路透社看到的文件，中国去年对俄罗斯军队进行的秘密军事训练，由俄罗斯国防部长别洛乌索夫（Andrei Belousov）亲自批准，而且至少有四名中俄两国将军直接参与其中。

官员们说，此类高层人士参与涉及乌克兰战争的训练，凸显了俄罗斯和中国对此类合作的重视。

路透社看到的一份俄罗斯机密文件显示，别洛乌索夫于2025年8月曾发布一项内部命令。文件称，根据别洛乌索夫的决定，俄罗斯武装部队的一个代表团前往中国，在解放军设施参加训练演习。

同一份报告还详细介绍了其中一项培训课程，即2025年11月在北京一处军事设施举行、为期三周的放射、化学和生物防护培训。

这份报告及另一份报告描述并展示了相关图片。图片显示俄罗斯士兵听取中国教官授课、观看核反应堆模型，并学习“化学侦察”“辐射侦察”以及防止通风系统受到污染等内容。

一名欧洲官员说，将放射、生物和化学战训练纳入交流内容，凸显了这些交流的战略性质。他同时指出，这一议题对各国军队而言通常都极为敏感。

中国外交部在声明中称，中国在乌克兰危机问题上的立场始终如一。“相关指控完全毫无根据。”

欧盟外交与安全政策高级代表卡拉斯（Kaja Kallas）6月15日声称，已核实媒体报道中国训练俄罗斯军人赴乌克兰作战的内容。卡拉斯没有说明相关报道的来源，也未进一步阐述。

此前，根据三家欧洲情报机构及路透社查阅的文件，解放军去年底曾在中国境内秘密训练约200名俄罗斯军人，当中部分俄军人已前往乌克兰参战。

据路透社报道，秘密训练内容主要侧重在使用无人机，相关内容载于两国高级军官去年7月2日在北京签署的一份中俄双语协议。

根据中国外交部官网发布的新闻稿，针对卡拉斯的说法，中国外交部发言人林剑6月16日在例行记者会上回应：“有关说法没有事实依据，纯属污蔑抹黑。”

两名要求匿名的欧洲官员确认，7月2日签署、作为此次训练依据的协议，由俄罗斯少将胡赛诺夫（Rustam Khusainov）和解放军一名大校签署。

俄罗斯议会国防委员会主席、资深议员卡尔塔波洛夫（Andrei Kartapolov）告诉俄罗斯媒体，有关此次训练的报道纯属“无稽之谈”，并称俄罗斯军队没有什么可向中国学习的。

俄罗斯在乌克兰持续四年多的战事中积累了丰富的实战经验，而中国拥有一支规模庞大、技术先进的军队，却已数十年未曾参与战争。

如何避免污染与火患 安全处置电池等电子垃圾？

2026年7月1日 15:40 / 联合早报

电池若有渗漏，应先用防漏容器或袋子将渗漏电池密封好，再投入电子垃圾回收箱。 （档案照片）

不当处置电子垃圾会造成环境污染，不止危害人体健康，还可能引发火患。把电池投入电子回收箱之前，应采取以下步骤，确保电池不会因电线短路而着火：

• 先利用绝缘胶带（Insulating Tape）缠绕电池两端或导线

• 电池若渗漏，应先以防漏容器或袋子将电池密封好

• 不同类型的电池不应集中混杂处理；锂离子电池与其他类型的电池须分开处理

另外，喷雾罐或气溶胶罐等也属易燃物品；处置这类垃圾时，应先持续喷射直至不再喷出任何物质，确保罐体已完全排空。

目前，国家环境局在全岛设有逾1000个电子垃圾回收点，回收小型电子设备，包括充电宝、手机、平板电脑、小型电脑和电脑屏幕、电池电缆电线、灯泡等。当中逾870个回收点是与欧绿保电子废弃物智能回收公司（ALBA E-Waste Smart Recycling，简称欧绿保）合作，回收点遍及各大超市、购物商场、民众俱乐部、组屋底层，可上网查询：https://alba-ewaste.sg/e-bin-maps/

至于较大型电子设备器材，环境局也与欧绿保合作，不定期在全岛各个市镇理事会展开大型电子垃圾回收活动。有需要的居民也可联系欧绿保安排上门回收大型电子垃圾。更多详情可查阅ALBA 网站：https://alba-ewaste.sg/collection-programmes/

环境局提醒人们，善用这些电子垃圾回收点妥善回收电子垃圾，切勿将锂离子电池、电子垃圾及其他易燃物品投入普通垃圾桶或蓝色回收箱。

民众也可参考环境局刊登的回收指南，以及上当局官网https://go.gov.sg/e-waste了解更多详情。

英国打工族如何在四十岁前退休？

2026年7月1日 15:32 / 联合早报

数据显示，去年英国男性的平均退休年龄达到65.8岁，女性为64.7岁，都创下历史新高。图为在新加坡市中心的上班族。 （档案照片）

冬天不开暖气、上班天天带饭、很少叫外卖，甚至外出时也尽量利用免费电源给手机充电。英国一对被旁人视为“抠门”的夫妻，最终成功在40岁前退休。

英国广播公司（BBC）报道，来自英格兰南部的艾伦·多尼根和妻子凯蒂七年前实现提前退休，当时艾伦40岁，凯蒂35岁。两人长期奉行FIRE理念，即“财务独立、提早退休”（Financially Independent, Retire Early），通过极度节俭、提高储蓄率和投资，争取早日退出全职工作。

多尼根夫妇极少叫外卖，上班坚持自带午餐。艾伦说，仅仅是自备午餐这个习惯，就让他们在10年间多省下4万英镑（近7万新元）。到了寒冷冬季，他们也尽量不开暖气，而是多穿衣服、使用热水袋。两人把尽可能积蓄投入投资，直到储蓄和投资资产达到100万英镑（约170万新元）后辞职。

现年49岁的美国人明克利曾是一名中学教师，44岁便提前退休。为了早点实现退休目标，她曾在日本、新加坡、印度和泰国的国际私立学校教书。她说，在海外工作不仅收入更高，生活成本也比美国低。

平时她也很节省：很少买贵衣服，电子产品一直用到不能再用才换，吃饭也大多自己在家做。如今，她定居在印尼巴厘岛。相比回美国生活，她的退休金在当地更耐花。

不过，在生活费愈发高涨的今天，想要实践Fire变得越来越难。数据显示，去年英国男性的平均退休年龄达到65.8岁，女性为64.7岁，都创下历史新高；美国也类似，到2025年，男性和女性的平均退休年龄分别升至64.8岁和63.3岁。

专家提醒，若为了提前退休牺牲友谊、健康或人生目标，未必值得。不过，Fire的一些原则仍可借鉴，例如年轻时尽早储蓄，并在每次加薪后提高养老金供款。

Fire社群如今也出现较温和的“Barista Fire”，主张先存够一笔资金，让投资收入覆盖大部分开销，再通过兼职补贴生活开支。