We speak with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed after his victory in Michigan’s primary race for U.S. Senate sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party. El-Sayed, a former public health official, ran a progressive campaign focused on affordability, Medicare for All, getting money out of politics, and opposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He defeated Congressmember Haley Stevens, who was backed by tens of millions in outside spending including by AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby group. “In an era where many of us can’t afford basic things like groceries or rent or healthcare, the idea that your government is sending your tax dollars to buy bombs and tanks for foreign governments seems anathema,” El-Sayed says. “That money could be spent to […]

Composer and playwright César Alvarez joins Democracy Now! to discuss their new musical, The Potluck. It tells the story of the 1979 Greensboro Massacre, when Klansmen and American Nazis opened fire on an antiracist demonstration in Greensboro, North Carolina, killing five members of the Communist Workers’ Party. In 2020, the Greensboro City Council passed a resolution apologizing for the attack and the police department’s complicity in the killings. Alvarez tells Democracy Now! the musical is an attempt to grapple with “what it has meant to grow up in the aftermath of this state-sanctioned murder,” as well their personal connection to the massacre. Alvarez’s parents were part of the Communist Workers’ Party, and Alvarez is […]

Kansas state Senator Cindy Holscher won Tuesday’s primary race to become the Democratic nominee in the state’s gubernatorial race, facing Republican Ty Masterson in November. Holscher clinched the nomination over fellow state lawmaker Ethan Corson, who was backed by the outgoing Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. Holscher’s victory is seen as another resounding defeat for establishment Democrats in Kansas and nationwide. The fight over data centers became a defining issue in the Kansas race. “We see [data centers] suck up the resources in terms of water. We see energy usage causing utility bills to skyrocket. So, certainly not things that you want to have happen during an affordability crisis,” Holscher tells Democracy Now! […]

Reproductive rights activists are alarmed over a pledge by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to institute nationwide abortion restrictions. Blanche, whose confirmation for attorney general is currently before the Senate, made the remarks in a private call with anti-abortion activists that was later posted online. According to the audio recording, Blanche said the Trump administration is pursuing policies “so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state,” referring to the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended the constitutional right to abortion and left the matter to individual states. Amy Littlefield, The Nation's abortion access correspondent, says the administration is likely to focus on limiting abortion pills […]

Trump Signs New Executive Orders Restricting Birthright Citizenship, Sen. Murkowski to Vote Against Blanche as AG, Trump Denies Munition Shortages While Threatening Jail Time over Leaks, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Joint Defense Agreement, Two Top Mossad Officials Fired over Israel’s Failed Plot to Topple Iranian Gov’t, Houthis Kill at Least 30 Saudi-Backed Yemeni Forces, Israeli Killing of Lebanese Journalist Amal Khalil Was a War Crime: Human Rights Groups, Gaza Board of Peace Issues Construction Contract for Military Outpost in Gaza, Justin Pearson Wins Tenn. House Primary After Campaigning Against Data Centers, New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay Additional $567M in Child Safety Lawsuit, Senate Homeland Security […]