As international attention shift toward the war in Iran, Trump's interventions in Latin America have gotten overshadowed. But reactionary governments are popping up across the map, poised to undo decades of redistributive politics, social rights, & environmental regulation. Caleb Brennan reports.

In Latin America, Trump Is Bringing Back That Old-Time Imperialism - The American Prospect

‘Hondurasgate’ exposed a plan to boost far-right American puppets across the Western Hemisphere.

prospect.org

Now the DSCC is out with a memo focusing mainly on Mike Rogers' vulnerabilities but committing to an early digital ad buy defining him.

Today's Prospect Patriot: A.Phillip Randolph. Through decades of history and multiple Democratic administrations, he pushed from below and won multiple fights on labor and civil rights. One of our finest leaders, across two generations. prospect.org/2026/08/05/a...

A. Philip Randolph: Socialist on the March - The American Prospect

A. Philip Randolph led Black workers and won defining civil rights victories over a career spanning 60 turbulent years.

prospect.org

The DSCC releases a statement on the El-Sayed victory.

NEWS: Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) just dropped out of his re-election race at 3:32 a.m.m. He said he’s done running but will finish out his term. This after the House Ethics Committee found “substantial reason to believe [he] violated House Rules related to sexual harassment and hostile workplaces.”

This was unlikely from a straight funding standpoint. Shri dumped millions in here and had incumbency. Big money still matters but it's never mattered less than this year.

Politico@politico.com · 2h ago

Thanedar becomes latest incumbent to fall to a progressive challenger

We got some quotes from @wyden.senate.gov about his wild report yesterday about banks withholding suspicious activity reports about Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking empire because they wanted to keep the lucrative relationship. Crazy conduct and Wyden has some good solutions for it.

Sen. Wyden Report: Banks Systematically Ignored Jeffrey Epstein’s Crimes - The American Prospect

The report shows how employees at Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and JPMorgan helped to hide Epstein’s activities because he was a load-bearing part of their ‘wall of cash.’

prospect.org

On to the next one. Here's a strange special election to replace Eric Swalwell in 2 weeks. Melissa Hernandez & Aisha Wahab have gone head-to-head twice since June. Wahab won by over 20 points both times. But every AIPAC shell PAC & AIPAC itself are still coming in 10:1 for Hernandez.

The AIPAC Universe Comes Together for Sequel in California - The American Prospect

An array of super PACs is trying to muscle through Melissa Hernandez in a low-turnout special election for a Bay Area House seat.

prospect.org

The last midterm Senate race in Michigan was 2018; Debbie Stabenow got 2.2 million votes. Dems tracking for around 1.6 million in the primary.

NBC just called it for El-Sayed

#MI07 candidate Bridget Brink congratulates William Lawrence on winning Dem primary: "Now we come together as one to take on Tom Barrett and work to elect a leader who will listen and fight for what matters most to our community here in mid-Michigan."

Quite an upset in the #KSGov Dem primary. State Sen. Cindy Holscher, who came out against data centers and the Kansas City Chiefs stadium deal, has defeated state Sen. Ethan Corson, who had a big financial edge and an endorsement from term-limited Gov. Laura Kelly.

Elissa Slotkin, who believes she's running for president, endorsed and did straight-to-camera ads for Maasdam. Woeful underperformance from him here.

The Downballot@the-downballot.com · 13h ago

Climate activist William Lawrence, an outspoken progressive, has won the Dem nod for swingy #MI07, held by GOP Rep. Tom Barrett. Lawrence was aided by the fact that two more moderate candidates appeared to split the vote.

Noting a bit from my piece today: Dem House campaign operatives were very impressed by Will Lawrence and all in on contesting that seat in November. Dem Senate campaign operatives never responded. prospect.org/2026/08/04/m...

ATTENTION TO ALL DEM TAX CUT SLOPULISTS

I've been there in California: voters do not want anyone modifying initiatives once they have them. Missouri hates its voters having any say but they're stuck with it. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

The AP has called the #MI10 Republican primary for Mike Bouchard Jr., son of a local sheriff, and the Democratic primary for prosecutor Christina Hines. This is a Trump+7 seat but should be quite competitive in November.

Donavan McKinney looking pretty good but a lot of votes left to count.

I definitely think the online left got a little out in front of their skis reporting internal polls but a win against $60 million is a win (if it's a win).

29 U.S.C. § 157@organizingpower.bsky.social · 12h ago

Folks: it’s over. El Sayed is gonna beat Stevens. My declaration based on early returns that it would be a “blowout” was wrong and probably based on hopium. But with 61% in, AES’ lead is holding steady, and there’s not enough favorable places outstanding for Stevens to pull it out

One thing's for sure: we're going to test that proposition about whether progressives can win in swing seats. Not just in Michigan but throughout the country.

William Lawrence@wewill2026.bsky.social · 13h ago

I couldn’t be prouder of the movement we’ve built in mid-Michigan. Thank you, Ambassador Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam, for your years of public service and all your hard work on the campaign trail. While tonight we celebrate, there’s still much more work ahead.

Tom Perriello was the original progressive winning in a swing seat. He voted for the ACA with no regrets and lost in 2010, but so did all the middle-of-the-road Rahm recruits

CNN@cnn.com · 17h ago

Former Rep. Tom Perriello will win the Democratic primary in Virginia's 5th Congressional District, CNN's Decision Desk projects. Follow live updates: https://cnn.it/4wbZT6y

Michigan U.S. House District 7 Democratic Primary Eaton County, multiple vote types: 🔵 William Lawrence – 2,926 (47.3%) 🔵 Matt Maasdam – 1,654 (26.7%) 🔵 Bridget Brink – 1,600 (25.9%)

I’m proud to announce today that after a years-long legal fight in federal court, the unfair “County Line” ballot in NJ is finally dead for good. Thanks to all who helped along the way. Power is being returned to the people. But as we celebrate today, the fight to fix NJ politics continues. THREAD

You may have read my story about Home Franchise Concepts, a multilevel marketing-style scheme that impoverishes the franchisees it lures in to be their own boss. We had the franchisees' top organizer, Kay Sharaf, and franchisee advocate Keith Miller on Organized Money to talk about the story.

The Franchising Scheme

Being your own boss with the help of a franchise business is a excellent way to make money for the people selling the franchises.

organizedmoney.fm

One more interesting point: this spring I sat down with Sharyn Alfonsi of 60 Minutes for an extensive interview about my Epstein investigation. Subsequently, CBS pulled the segment and fired the reporter. The MAGA buyout of media has unquestionably aided the Trump administration’s cover up here.

Senator Ron Wyden@wyden.senate.gov · yesterday

Bombshell new report out from my investigators this morning spanning our four year investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s financial records. This report shows exactly how Wall Street protected Epstein and enabled his sex trafficking for decades. Mega thread following with some key points:

Real Wes Anderson typeface vibes on this short doc from Mamdani's office about a tenant union. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN3c...

The Union of Pinnacle Tenants: A Short History of NYC Housing

YouTube video by NYC Mayor's Office

youtube.com

Ted Lasso returns this week, and our critic Andrew Dowd wonders if the post-COVID good vibes that animated the show are now too out of touch. prospect.org/2026/08/04/a...

Ted Lasso Is Back, but Is His Moment Over?

For the show to resonate today, it needs to get in touch with its anger.

prospect.org

The deals made to fund the government and confirm Todd Blanche are fake. Cornyn and Tillis' "win" can easily be altered and reversed, while the funding deal only blocks Trump's vengeance-based budgeting until December, and OMB can still work on it until then. More from Bob Kuttner.

Republican Senators Pretend to Constrain Trump - The American Prospect

John Cornyn caves and agrees to vote for Todd Blanche as AG, while Susan Collins orchestrates a loophole-ridden deal on OMB rules politicizing federal grants.

prospect.org

Today's Prospect Patriot is Frances Perkins. She saw the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory go ablaze in 1911 and her life changed. "The New Deal was born that day," she said. 22 years later she'd be America's first female cabinet member. prospect.org/2026/08/04/a...

Frances Perkins: The Architect of Social Security - The American Prospect

In her words, Frances Perkins, the first woman cabinet secretary, ‘came to Washington to work for God, FDR, and the millions of forgotten, plain, common workingmen.’

prospect.org

It's election day in Michigan, and I'm struck by how the centrists have run to win an electibility argument and the progressives have run to win the race they're actually running in. Almost like mobilizing support and speaking to the needs of voters matters! prospect.org/2026/08/04/m...

The Michigan Revolution Is About Old-Fashioned Politics - The American Prospect

Progressives like Abdul El-Sayed and Will Lawrence are running solid races. Moderates have fallen back on old arguments. Signs point to the progressives winning.

prospect.org