Politics

Who is Andy Burnham, the U.K.’s likely next prime minister? : NPR

MANCHESTER (England) — Andy Burnham, born and raised in the north of England, moved south to study English Literature at the University of Cambridge. One professor remembers Burnham wearing a football jersey to class.
John Mullan, a professor at the Times of London said: “It’s very common in the streets of the northwest of England but not so common within a Cambridge College.” The professor remembered Burnham’s youth as one of soccer obsession, Shakespeare recitation and dating “the coolest girls in the college.” Marie-France van Heel is Dutch and she married the man.
Burnham’s political identity was shaped by the early soccer jersey that he wore.
Burnham’s 56-year-old roots in the north, where he grew up, are often highlighted by him. Analysts believe that his childhood and time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, which is proud to be the birthplace of working-class people during the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom, have helped shape his policies. This background may also be able to help the center-left Labour Party win over working class voters who have been voting more for right-wing political parties.
Burnham said to Channel 4 News, in the U.K. in May: “I’m going to do everything I can to turn Labour into a political party [people] will believe in. A party which is firmly on the side working class people.”
Burnham has fought against stereotypes about northern soccer supporters from the beginning
Burnham, who was born in Liverpool in the suburbs of parents working as telephone engineers and receptionists, grew up in a small village halfway between Liverpool and Manchester. Van Heel and Burnham moved to London after graduating from Cambridge. Burnham became the first Labour MP to be elected at age 31.
In 2009, he was appointed to the position of secretary of state under Gordon Brown for Culture, Media and Sports. He delivered a speech in Liverpool on the anniversary the Hillsborough tragedy of 1989, in which nearly 100 soccer supporters were crushed in an overcrowded football stadium in Northern England. This was the most deadly sports accident ever in British history. The victims, however, were labelled as hooligans and many of the survivors and families believed that the government did not do enough investigation. Burnham was initially booed by the crowd. He fought back tears and abandoned his prepared remarks. Nodding his head, the crowd shouted for justice.
Charlotte Wildman is a historian at the University of Manchester who studies working-class history. She says: “They were so poorly treated, and Burnham was the first politician to listen.”
Burnham launched an investigation by the government that concluded the failures of the police, and not the victims, was responsible for the tragedy. Wildman claims that this helped to change the national stereotype.
The working class men of the north were particularly demonized. She says they were accused of violent aggression and criminality.
Burnham’s Hillsborough campaign won Burnham over to this demographic, which feels left behind. Politicians in London and the south are more wealthy, but they ignore them.
He was born in Liverpool and educated in Cambridge but is best known for his work in Manchester
Burnham was a Labour leader candidate twice as a Member of Parliament. Keir starmer, his friend and fellow legislator, nominated him in 2015. He lost in both elections and left Parliament 16 years later to move back north. He was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. In local politics he gained a reputation that was nationally recognized.
Manchester’s 1980s-90s music scene was characterized by two distinct things. Burnham was determined to repair the first, while immersing himself in the second.
Burnham was in office when redevelopment in Manchester had already begun. He doubled his efforts to try and change the perception of the city in the same manner as he did for soccer supporters. Burnham took over the city bus system and persuaded central government officials to give cities more power in education and housing.
Regeneration was like branding and marketing! Wildman makes a point. Manchester used to be associated with a very negative image. “It was associated with urban decay.”
Manchester is dotted with cranes. A former warehouse and canal area is now home to an arts centre. Glass skyscrapers look more like Dubai or England. Manchester has now become one of the most rapidly growing municipal economies in Britain.
Burnham promotes what he refers to as “Manchesterism,” a national model of economic growth. Burnham says that he will shift the power from London to cities and regions, and open an office of Downing Street up north.
Imagine good growth for every postcode, and hope for every heart. Burnham, in his policy speech on June 29, said: “Imagine no more. Let’s get it done.”
Also, he promises to reduce tax rates on retail businesses and build more public housing than any time since World War II. He will also cut welfare expenditures in a “fair and sustainable” way.
Rose Marley is the CEO of Co-operatives UK in Manchester, an association of cooperative business. She says, “Manchesterism” for us means people working together for change and doing things themselves. Andy, from an economic perspective, would say that it is the end of neoliberalism.
Marley was an advisor to Burnham while he served as mayor. She met Burnham earlier on the indie scene of her city, where he moonlights DJ. When he arrived in London from Westminster, she recalls that he was dressed like a politician straight out of Westminster.
The tie had been loosened on his first day, so the concept of this Westminster MP was quickly discarded. Marley remembers. The Mancunian style is T-shirts and trainers! “That’s how he got into DJing. Manchesterians are known as Mancunians.
Burnham was a major national figure in COVID
Manchester, for example, was more restricted than other cities when the pandemic struck. The rules, however, were sometimes confusing.
Burnham was holding a live news conference in October 2020 when an assistant handed him the phone and told him about another lockdown. The mayor then reacted furiously, lashing out at the federal government.
This is not the way you run a country during a crisis. This is not the case. Burnham warned that the new restrictions will disproportionately harm blue-collar employees who are paid lower wages. People are too often ignored by the power-holders!
Burnham’s outburst became viral and made him a hero in those dark days, when the pandemic was raging, according to Joshi Herrmann of The Mill, an online news website based in Manchester.
He expressed helplessness and a sense that the government may not have understood what it was like living in Manchester. Herrmann remembers that he “really identified himself as being a new type of politician” in the country. Without that moment I don’t think he would be heading to Downing Street within the next couple of weeks.
Learn to govern at the national level
Burnham is one of Britain’s most beloved politicians.
He’ll likely face the same problems that harmed Starmer, including low growth in the country, high energy costs, and pressures to increase defense spending amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Herrmann isn’t sure how Burnham would handle those.
Andy Burnham loves affirmation. Herrmann: “I don’t think he will go to any lengths to ensure Donald Trump doesn’t gossip about him [in the] middle of night. He won’t be happy with that.” He will feel more pain from that than Keir starmer, I believe.
He says the next British prime minister must quickly get used to governing a whole country, rather than just a single city.

Politics

What to watch for in Arizona tonight: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics Desk is a free daily email newsletter that provides the latest news and analysis by the NBC News Politics Team from the White House and Capitol Hill, as well as the campaign trail.
Ben Kamisar gives a preview of the most important contests in today’s issue as Arizona primary results are announced. Our White House team also digs deep into the new critical phase in President Donald Trump’s Iran War.
Subscribe to this weekly newsletter here.
— Adam Wollner
Watch out for Arizona Tonight
By Ben Kamisar
Today, the Arizona primary season resumes. President Donald Trump continues to make false claims of election fraud nearly six years after he lost to Joe Biden.
What to watch?
Andy Biggs, Republican candidate for governor, is the clear frontrunner to face Democratic Governor. Katie Hobbs. Trump has endorsed the former Chair of House Freedom Caucus, a conservative group that also includes David Schweikert.
Biggs has spent many years questioning the results of the presidential elections in 2020. But now that he is focusing on an election this November, Biggs seems to have backed off from pursuing the matter with the same passion. Republicans believe they can defeat Hobbs, who is one of the governors most in danger of losing his reelection bid this year. Democrats think that Biggs’s alignment with Trump will be a problem if he is nominated as the GOP candidate.
Secretary of State: Alexander Kolodin, a Republican state representative, and Gina Swoboda – a former chairperson of the state party – are competing to challenge incumbent Democrat Adrian Fontes. Arizona’s chief electoral officer for the presidential election in 2028 will be the winner of the Arizona general election.
Kolodin has been deeply involved with the challenges that Trump’s allies have brought forward for post-2020. He is backed by Turning Point USA, as well as a few conservative Arizona members of Congress.
Swoboda received Trump’s support in the past for her bid to run for Congress. She then switched over to running for this office. Trump did not officially endorse the Secretary of State contest. Swoboda says that the court system “stole the election fair and square”, and there are issues in election administration.
First District: Former NFL kicker Jay Feely is the leading GOP candidate in Schweikert’s district. Feely is supported by Trump.
In the Democratic Primary, there are two more candidates. Former state representative Amish Shah is one of them and Marlene Galan Woods was another.
Shah is supported by a few of his old colleagues including Rusty Bowers, the former GOP Speaker of the state House. Galan-Woods, on the other hand, has some strong supporters, such as Sen. Mark Kelly and Attorney General Kris Mayes. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also gave her a big boost by adding her to their list of candidates. They recently bought advertising in conjunction with her campaign.
Click here to read more
Trump is entering an unsettling moment of the Iran War that could turn into a mess
Peter Nicholas, Garrett Haake and Matt Dixon
Iran’s conflict has entered a new, dangerous phase. The regime has shown that it still has enough firepower for American soldiers to be killed or wounded, despite President Donald Trump saying repeatedly that America won the war.
Trump, enraged by the death of U.S. military personnel, has threatened a series of ominous reprisals which could extend the conflict indefinitely.
Trump administration officials described yesterday’s state as “ambiguous”. A fragile ceasefire that was reached in April collapsed and the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties last month to try to end the conflict is now in pieces.
Trump is in trouble at home because of the escalation of violence and the ferocity with which the war has escalated. He also faces a dilemma abroad, as a conflict of his own choosing could turn into a political and military quagmire.
Trump faces an Iranian regime with a stubborn opponent that isn’t so interested in defeating the U.S. as much as it is to survive and fight another day. Trump is also facing a restive American populace that needs assurances about the future as the conflict reaches the midterm election season.
Click here to read more
By Chantal Da Silva & Matthew Mulligan: Related: Strait of Hormuz Traffic at a Standstill As Fears Grow for Global Oil Supply
For now, that’s it from the Politics Desk. Adam Wollner compiled today’s newsletter.
If you have feedback — likes or dislikes — email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

Politics

Right-Wing Haters Try to Stop the Steal as ‘Woke’ Odyssey Conquers Global Box Office

The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, was the most successful movie worldwide last weekend. It grossed $264 millions. ABC News reported that the film’s production cost was $250 million, and it spent $125 for marketing. It’s likely to make back Universal’s money, not to mention all of its awards.
The Odyssey, like so many other pop-culture items of the 2020s has ignited controversy in social media. What’s the problem? The right-wingers are upset that there are a couple of actors in the movie who’re not white, and also one transgender.
They are trying to convince you that the film is bad, and there has been a coordinated effort to inflate it on websites like Rotten Tomatoes. The people are also saying that the theaters were sold out, something they have not provided any evidence for.
There is no evidence, other than anecdotes posted anonymously online by people who have not seen The Odyssey. A seat that was sold nearby when I purchased my ticket last Thursday for a showing of the movie, was vacant when I got there. This has happened to me at many other movie screenings I have attended at the theater.
You can also get your refund if you cancel the ticket before the film starts. Some people buy tickets in advance and then can’t attend the movie for whatever reason. They may just pay the price. There is no proof that there has been a massive fraud. This would be the least probable explanation.
The evidence actually points the opposite direction. The demand for 70mm IMAX is so high that some projectors in certain cities are reportedly getting too hot because they are running all day long. Anyone who watched the movie on its opening weekend can attest to the fact that the theatre was packed, even though there may have been a few empty seats.
A conspiracy theory that is currently being circulated online claims Rotten Tomatoes prevents negative reviews from appearing, thereby artificially increasing the rating of the movie. The film currently holds a score of 95% from critics, and 97% from the audience.
There’s not much evidence to suggest that Rotten Tomatoes suppresses negative reviews. Gizmodo contacted Rotten Tomatoes but did not receive a response. If Rotten Tomatoes responds, we’ll update the article. However, a quick glance at The Odyssey’s Rotten Tomatoes page shows that there are many negative reviews, and they’re all whiny.
For example:
It should have been called The Woke Odyssey. What if it was a historical film with New York accents and modern hairstyles? Terrible dialogue – very cringe. The wrong era sets and an entire class of woke theories. It was a very disappointing film for Nolan.
This person wrote four reviews over the past few years. They included ones on The Little Mermaid (2023) and Snow White (2025), two movies in other cultural wars that right-wingers criticized for being too woke. This person is clearly trying to manipulate the scores of films they haven’t even seen.
A second conspiracy theory suggests that Rotten Tomatoes is being overrun by bots who post positive reviews. This theory’s supposed evidence is the fact that reviews tend to be too general. The more probable explanation is that people won’t write long, detailed essays about why they enjoyed a movie. It’s more likely to be something like, “Fantastic film.” “Well done!” will be the most common response.
Some X users said it was hilarious that there should be a lawsuit filed against Rotten Tomatoes for the suppression of bad reviews.
Art is subjective. It’s possible, regardless of politics, to either love or dislike The Odyssey. Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, is a big fan. There are many reasons for a person on the left to dislike this film. The film is not inherently political, but it can be seen through this lens.
Many jokes have been made on the left that the film is a cultural success, but these are firmly in jest.
How much the audience enjoys a movie is what will determine its fate. The majority of people don’t use X, and are unaware that there is a culture war over the mass media. Pew Research reports that only 21% of American adult users ever used X. This is nothing in comparison to other platforms such as YouTube (84%), Facebook (71%) and Instagram (50%).
Elon Musk who purchased Twitter late in 2022, and transformed it into an extremist far-right machine, appears to be heavily invested in the notion that The Odyssey will fail because it is too “woke”. On Tuesday, he retweeted an allegation that Rotten Tomatoes published fake ratings and pointed people to another site with the “real score”.
Popcorn Gap is the site that removes all reviews submitted via Fandango’s one-tap notification system. It’s basically deleting reviews because they believe that the reviewers are not being detailed enough. The average person will not write a lengthy review. The average person will just give the film a score based on how much they enjoyed it.
It’s not surprising that The Odyssey has been doing well in the box office. It’s a great film, well-acted and directed by one of Hollywood’s most famous directors. The film will win many awards, and it’s likely to be remembered for years as an important piece of popular culture. Right wingers are likely to continue insisting it is garbage while saying everyone hates it because they have no friends who’ve seen it.
X is a world of petty grudges where the biggest movie of the year is in fact a failure. It’s now more obvious than ever that those who use that website as a gauge of American culture are rotting from within.

Politics

‘Won’t back down’: Indian student protesters return after police crackdown

New Delhi, India: Blood spots, broken mirrors, and sandals scattered across the street. The chaos in the Indian capital is evident by the broken glasses, ripped shirts and scarves scattered across the road.
New Delhi’s heart – Parliament Street, Connaught Place and the colonial square of the same name – is marked by the police crackdown that occurred on Monday against thousands of protesters. Most of the demonstrators were students who shut down New Delhi in order to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The police used tear gas on a swarm that had reached the doorstep of parliament. They then retreated. Over 100 students suffered injuries.
Anshul Dev (18) grew up living in Delhi. He added that “part of it was because the tear gas is still painful.” His group of friends burst into laughter. Both legs of one had been bandaged.
Dev stated, “This government is making us feel like criminals and terrorists, despite the fact that our elders elected it to power.” This is our land, and we will reclaim it from the hateful politics of their government. “We are here to end the curse.”
India’s Gen Z youth has simmered in anger for two months now over the leaking of exam papers that have affected millions of students. Some exam papers leaked, while in other cases students seeking copies of their answers found they were wrongly graded. Many students attributed the leak of exam papers to their suicide.
Even though he smiled at protesters on Monday, a few metres from them, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not address these demonstrations.
Analysts say that the protests of students will face many obstacles to gaining concessions from Modi’s government. The crackdown, along with the refusal of the government to make any members accountable, has heightened the charge against Modi that he acts like an autocrat despite being elected democratically.
“Protests continue”
Abhijeet Dipke, the leader of Cockroach Janta Party, a pressure group which called for the protest, returned after dark to the CJP’s protest site, near Jantar Mantar. This 18th century observatory is a popular protest location.
The Delhi Police has brutally beaten our students and fellow comrades. “We are devastated,” he told about 2,000 protesters, who had remained behind after the crackdown. We will keep resisting and continue to demand accountability from government. “We will not give up until Dharmendra resigns.”
Dipke said to the protesters the Delhi Police “brutally crackeddown” on the demonstrators in order to “crush our hopes” of Pradhan resigning. He said, “This was just our first march call.” There will be others. “Do not give up hope.”
The Jantar Mantar was cleaned by volunteers who began picking up trash, tying a tent and sweeping the road. More than 100 student protesters have been sleeping here for almost a month in order to join Sonam Wangchuk on her hunger strike.
On Monday, the police raided these student unions to seize their belongings and tarpaulins tents.
Last week, the movement gained momentum after police removed Wangchuk by force from the protest area and sent him to an unnamed government hospital where he is still being held. The CJP and his family have called this “illegal imprisonment”, however the Delhi High Court refused to grant immediate relief.
Wangchuk (59) broke off his hunger strike on Monday before the march. However, he later said that he will resume it after “seeing” the brutality against “peacefully demonstrating students”.
Delhi Police has filed five criminal charges against the protesters for violence, vandalism and stone-throwing during the march.
A meeting with the government is a waste of time
Leaders of the CJP said that the government had reached out to them for dialogue before the March.
Two CJP representatives met with JP Nadda (India’s Health Minister) to deliver the three demands of the protest movement: Pradhan’s immediate resignation; Wangchuk’s discharge from the hospital, and nearly $100,000 in compensation for families of students who committed suicide.
They were however disillusioned when the sun set. Ashutosh Rana, CJP’s spokesperson said: “It wasted our time.” We waited for 4 hours and then the Minister met with us for only 10 minutes.
Nadda met the spokespeople in “a cordial environment”, and he asked all protesters “to end their sit-in” to help the administration restore normalcy.
Students have called for decentralisation to allow them to move past the CJP and demand accountability from government.
Al Jazeera’s political analysts said that maintaining the CJP leadership’s credibility remains one of their biggest challenges, despite the unprecedented turnout of marchers.
How to confront a “strong man”
Modi has been called to resignation by the demonstrators and the movement since the police removed Wangchuk forcibly from the protest. On Monday, slogans aimed at the Prime Minister reverberated throughout central New Delhi.
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay is a biographer of Modi and an author. He said that the large number protesters was “a challenge in itself” to Modi.
He told Al Jazeera that “Modi is continuing with his instinctive reaction of refusing to make any concessions to the protesters, and continues to portray himself as an unshakeable man.”
Biographer said that Prime Minister, in office since 2014, does not “care before crushing a demonstration or using brute strength until it cuts across his voting constituencies”.
They will act on their gut reaction of a crackdown. Modi does not want to come out of this situation with a bleeding nose, he said, despite the anger of youths, who show an undercurrent of opposition.
Gen Z’s simmering anger was released when they rallied around a joke called the Cockroach Janta Party after India’s Chief Justice compared government critics, unemployed youth, and parasites to “cockroaches” and “parasites”.
In India, memes, online rants, and photos of students in front the police are a common sight. They express their anguish, and poke fun at the crackdown by the police.
Meghnad S was a YouTuber who stood amongst the thousands of people in front of India’s Parliament Monday.
It was insane, and because of the police’s actions, people were really inflamed. He told Al Jazeera on Monday evening that it was brutal. But movements are messy. It is difficult to control. After all, we are all cockroaches. We are all still here swarming.”
On Tuesday morning the site was packed again. Cockroaches were back.

Politics

Trump vows revenge on Iran and what to watch in Arizona’s primaries: Morning Rundown

Trump is entering a period of uncertainty in the Iran War, which threatens to turn into a mess. Battleground Arizona prepares for another round of fiercely contested primary elections. Test your knowledge of soccer with our World Cup Quiz.
What you need to know about today
Trump’s Iran War enters a new dangerous phase
Donald Trump has promised revenge on Iran for the death of three U.S. soldiers since Friday. The war between Iran and the United States is entering a new dangerous phase. Senior White House officials described this as “a time of uncertainty,” since the ceasefire that was agreed to in April has collapsed, and both parties’ “memorandums of understanding” signed last month are now in pieces.
Here is the Morning Rundown to get you started on your weekday. Subscribe here and receive it directly in your mailbox.
Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Central Command released a statement revealing a fresh round of strikes. Yesterday, Defense Department also identified the two American soldiers who were killed by Iranian airstrikes in Jordan. They are Tyler James Feehan (25 years old) from Hawaii and Isabella Gonzales (19 years old) from Texas. In a separate incident in Iraq, a third U.S. soldier was also killed.
Trump is in trouble because the sudden increase in intensity and pace of the war threatens both to be a military and political mess.
Trump is facing an Iranian regime who doesn’t care if it defeats the U.S. as much as he does if they survive another day. A White House official stated that Trump would not let Iran’s attacks go unpunished. He faces a public at home that is looking for assurances of the imminent end.
There are many complicated options to end the war.
Arizona is hosting another hotly contested election
Today’s Arizona primary elections will lead to competitive battleground races in the fall. Even though the election has been over six years ago, 2020 still plays a major role in campaigning.
Andy Biggs has backed away from past remarks that cast doubt on presidential election results. Republicans are confident about their chances of defeating incumbent Governor Katie Hobbs. However, Democrats think a Trump-aligned Biggs will have difficulty winning.
This fall the race for secretary of state could receive a lot of attention, since the winner is likely to be the chief electoral officer for the swing state in 2028.
Arizona’s 1st district will have one of the most closely watched congressional races this year, as both parties are expected to hold competitive primaries. The Republican frontrunner is former NFL kicker Jay Feely, and former journalist Marlene Galan-Woods is competing for the Democratic nomination.
There’s more to today’s elections.
More politics news:
Darline Graham has announced that she will seek to fill the seat formerly held by her brother Lindsey Graham. Trump had urged Darline Graham to run after urging her into the race.
Subscribers: Trump’s speech in primetime failed to secure the necessary votes to pass SAVE America Act. Republicans have explained the reasons why they are still opposed.
Subscribers: Andy Burnham, the new U.K. prime minister rose to prominence in a city located north of London. NBC News spoke with Burnham’s friends in Manchester to learn more about his personality and policies.
Trump increases tariffs by 50% on Canadian products
Trump announced tariffs of 50% on the majority of Canadian goods. This move could lead to higher inflation and deteriorate relations between Washington and one its closest allies. Tariffs are imposed on goods previously exempt from taxes under the U.S. Mexico Canada agreement, but do not include energy products, minerals, potash or fish.
Trump claimed in proclamations yesterday that Canada is discriminating against American automobiles, cheese, and alcohol compared to other countries. His argument is based in part on the retaliatory measures taken by Canada after Trump imposed tariffs.
Wildfires and Trump’s Decision
China AI Conference: Robo-police, dancing humanoids and more
The World AI Conference is taking place in China
03:16
Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people flocked from all over the world to Shanghai for China’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference. They wanted to see China’s newest AI advances. Over 1,000 events were held at the conference which concluded yesterday. Attendees from all walks of life, including students and world leaders, crowded around to see the robots.
Visitors were welcomed by exhibition halls featuring brightly-lit TV screens, robots boxing, bionic arms, and walls covered with computer chips. Visitors could examine racks of AI chip technology that can be used in data centers on one floor. Visitors shared the walkways with humanoid dancing robots, and crowds pushed their way through to find a good spot for watching robots fight in a boxing match.
Jared Perlo, NBC News Tech reporter shared his observations at the conference.
What was the top World Cup scorer’s Golden Boot?
A. Harry Kane, England
B. Erling Haaland from Norway
C. Kylian Mbappe, France
D. Lionel Messi from Argentina
Try the World Cup quiz.
Staff Pick: The lake where an teen drowned is dangerous for even experienced swimmers
As I began reporting about the 18-year old death in Texas of Daniel Erving, I was left with several questions. What had happened when he and his two friends arrived one April day at a lake in Dallas? Why did the teens not call 911? They allegedly threw away his clothes and phone, according to an affidavit for the arrest warrant.
Some of these questions were addressed during an interview with the police, and with the mother of a suspect charged with evidence-tampering. One question I was always returning to is how Erving drowned, despite being an accomplished swimmer.
In my research and in an interview I conducted with a local American Canoe Association instructor trainer, I discovered that Lake Ray Hubbard is a place where drownings have occurred and boat accidents are fatal. It is impressive how large the lake was created by humans. The lake is one of North Texas’ largest, measuring 20,947 acres and having a depth up to 40 feet. It’s because the lake was created by humans that it is full of wood, trees and other debris below its surface. This can be a problem for those who want to dive or swim.
Erving’s drowning death is still under investigation by police, despite being ruled as an accident. — Minyvonne Burke, senior reporter
Learn More About It
After 12 states filed a lawsuit to stop this merger, a federal judge halted it temporarily.
Taylor Farms, despite receiving a false-positive test result on a sample of lettuce, will be under investigation by the FDA in connection with a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis.
As Bertha moves to the west, it is forecast to intensify and bring heavy rains across parts of Florida and Alabama.
The FBI reported that a possible anti-ICE protester, who had previously served in both the Army and National Guard, placed an “incendiary” device outside of federal offices in New York City.
Two federal biologists were kidnapped at gunpoint by a man and his son in Northern California’s forest.
In Australia, a woman gave birth to four identical girls. The odds of spontaneously conceiving identical quadruplets are estimated by doctors at one in fifteen million.
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Reduce your electricity bill without sweating. How to reduce your cooling costs while keeping your house cool. Target has a special early-back-to-school secret sale, with huge savings on art supplies, backpacks and other items.
Subscribe to The Selection for expert shopping advice, product reviews and the latest sales and deals.

Politics

Arizona Republicans vote for a candidate to take on Gov. Katie Hobbs, and more races to watch today

Arizonans will vote on Tuesday for the next governor of Arizona. Katie Hobbs and other key districts will also be holding primary elections as the battle for control of the House continues.
Arizona is a traditionally Republican-dominated state. Six of the nine House members are Republicans. The state has both a Democratic senator and Democrat governor. In 2020 the state went for Joe Biden, and then flipped in 2024 to President Trump.
Arizona is one of those states that Mr. Trump singled out for baseless accusations of voter fraud after the 2020 elections. These claims continue to resonate throughout Arizona politics.
Watch these races:
Arizona Republican Primary for Governor
Hobbs faces no opposition for the Democratic nomination. However, there will be four Republicans who are on the ballot in November to challenge her. Andy Biggs, David Schweikert and Rep. Andy Biggs are the two most prominent candidates. Biggs also has President Obama’s support.
Biggs leads in the early polls. Francisco Pedraza of Arizona State University’s Center for Latina/os & American Politics Research told CBS News he saw a Biggs vs. Hobbs race as “a tight race.”
Hobbs won the 2022 governor’s election by a narrow margin over Trump ally Kari Lake. Lake, who supported Mr. Trump’s false claims regarding the 2020 elections, was appointed by the President to head the U.S. Agency for Global Media. This agency oversees Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and many other services. Her nomination has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
Biggs is a former Chair of the House Freedom Caucus and has served Arizona’s 5th District in the House for 5 terms. Biggs was one of the leading proponents for Mr. Trump’s claims of election fraud. He has also been subpoenaed to appear before the now defunct January 6th select committee regarding his involvement with plans to bring demonstrators to Washington that day as well as efforts to persuade state officials to believe that Mr. Trump had lost the 2020 elections. The final report included his name frequently.
Pedraza stated that the central themes of the campaign will be the claims made by 2020 and the question “can we trust our electoral systems?” Hobbs, on the other hand, has focused his attentions more towards affordability and the curbing of school vouchers. According to ASU research, one third of Arizona voters do not feel confident that mail-in or absentee ballots are fairly counted or free from fraud.
He said: “This is evidence that when leaders, especially public and elected officials such as the President of the United States, continue to beat the drum about fraud despite the lack of evidence, their beliefs become tainted.”
Arizona’s 1st Congressional district
Schweikert first was elected to Congress as part of Tea Party wave in 2010, to represent Scottsdale. But he said to the Arizona Republic that last year he wished to run for Governor because he felt frustrated by gridlock in Congress. He said, “We are dealing with a Congress that cannot even pass their appropriation bill.”
Schweikert only won in 2024 by 3.8 points over Amish Shah. The district was rated as a tie by Sabato’s Crystal Ball by the UVA Center for Politics. Former state representative Joseph Chaplik is a candidate for the GOP nod, along with former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, and businessman John Trobough. Feely has been backed by Mr. Trump.
Shah, Marlene Galan Woods and other candidates on the Democratic side are vying for the nomination. Shah defeated Marlene in the primary of 2024. Galan-Woods is backed by the Democrats’ House Campaign arm, which includes a former journalist.
Galan-Woods was criticized by some for supporting GOP politicians and being a Republican up until 2018. She said to the Arizona Republic the Republican Party had changed. “Donald Trump and (current U.S. Rep. David Schweikert) have driven the Republican Party off the cliff.”
Arizona 5th congressional district
Biggs has entered the race for governor, leaving his seat in Congress vacant.
Mark Lamb is the former Pinal County sheriff who was endorsed by Mr. Trump. He has called himself “America’s Sherriff” and said to The Arizona Republic that he had launched his campaign with “faith in God Jesus Christ my family.” Lamb was the early leader in the race. However, the Arizona Republic released a series of articles in May which claimed that Lamb had engaged in years of sexual misconduct and sent explicit messages. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also conducted an investigation.
CBS News has contacted Lamb’s campaign.
Lamb’s Campaign has denied all allegations. Lamb’s spouse said in a May Facebook post that “after everything we have been through, an extensive smear-campaign is not going to prevent us from doing the right thing.”
Trump reiterated his support last week for Lamb who faces a challenge from wealthy contractor Daniel Keenan. Keenan, who has invested $1.6 million in his campaign and is backed by the campaign itself, recently had a slight lead according to a recent poll conducted by a GOP-aligned polling company.
Biggs was a winner in 2024 by more than 20 points, and UVA Sabato’s Crystal Ball has rated the district as Safe Republican. So, Tuesday’s victor will be likely to have a strong advantage in November.
Three Democrats are running against the Republican winner.