Why the fight for Senate control might run through Michigan

Summary

Apple News Today – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Why the fight for Senate control might run through Michigan
Date: August 4, 2026
Host: Gideon Reznick (in for Shumita Basu)
Format: Morning news roundup, interviews, field reporting

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Episode Overview

This episode examines why Michigan's upcoming Senate race is critical to Democratic hopes of winning Senate control in 2026. The show also covers national debates about vaccines and measles outbreaks, Baltimore's expansion of alternatives to police response for 911 calls, a cyclospiriasis outbreak in Michigan, news about Senate confirmation votes and a notable country name change.

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Main Segment: Michigan Senate Primary as a Bellwether (00:38–05:26)

Context and Stakes

• Michigan is spotlighted as a "must-win" state for Democrats aiming to reclaim Senate control in 2026.
• The primary race features two sharply contrasting Democratic candidates: establishment moderate Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive insurgent Dr. Abdul El Sayed.

Candidate Profiles

• Haley Stevens: Four-term Congresswoman, moderate, worked on Obama's auto rescue, endorsed by major Michigan Democrats (including Gov. Whitmer).
• Abdul El Sayed: Former public health official; outspoken progressive, critic of both the Democratic establishment and GOP.

Notable Dynamics

• The choice reflects national Democratic divides: moderate experience vs. anti-establishment progressivism and policy boldness.

“[El Sayed is] running in some ways to be the Democratic nominee by running against the Democratic Party.” — Russell Berman, The Atlantic (01:11)

• El Sayed is “one of the harshest critics of the Democratic Party,” making him both appealing to disaffected voters and controversial within party ranks (01:29–01:42).
• Backed by progressive stars: AOC, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders (01:47–01:51).
• Stevens is supported by party leadership, such as Sen. Chuck Schumer and AIPAC.

Gaza, Israel, and Party Divisions

• Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a major wedge issue.
• Stevens: Describes herself as “pro-Israel” but has criticized Netanyahu (02:34–02:38).
• El Sayed: Calls out U.S. military aid to Israel, accuses Netanyahu of genocide, criticizes Stevens for AIPAC support.

“The difference between us is $46 million of AIPAC spending… I believe that we should not be fighting stupid wars that AIPAC wants us to fight in the first place. And I believe we have a responsibility to keep our money here, to invest here.” — Abdul El Sayed (02:52–03:20)

General Election Outlook

• Republican Mike Rogers, described as a very strong candidate (03:35–03:44).
• Debate over whether progressives can win in swing states:
  • Some Democrats doubt a progressive can survive a purple state general election (03:56–04:02).
  • Concerns rooted in the state's recent support for Trump (who won Michigan in 2016 and 2024).
• Electability argument raised by Stevens and her allies (04:19–04:36).

“There is some research that shows candidates closer to the ideological middle tend to outperform those further away from it in general elections. But there are no ironclad rules in politics.” — Gideon Reznick (04:36–04:57)

The Progressive Calculation

• If El Sayed wins both primary and general, it could recalibrate national strategy for 2028.

“If El Sayed can win not only the primary but the general election in November, progressives are gonna see this as a huge victory… the Democratic Party's theories and beliefs about ‘electability’ in a purple state are completely outdated.” — Russell Berman (04:57–05:26)

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National Vaccine Politics and Measles Outbreak (05:26–08:47)

Measles Surge

• U.S. marks the highest measles caseload since 2000, coinciding with declining MMR vaccination rates.
• HHS led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic (05:44–05:48).

High-profile Vaccine Messaging

• Kennedy Jr. gives one of his clearest endorsements yet for MMR vaccination, despite history of hedged statements.

“Parents should get their children vaccinated for measles. A measles vaccine is effective. It stops measles in about 97% of the cases. People should get vaccinated.” — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (06:05–06:17)

• However, private reporting (WSJ's Liz Eslie White) suggests President Trump is pressuring Kennedy to pursue skepticism about vaccines, especially linking vaccines with autism—despite scientific consensus against such links (06:47–07:27).
• Attempts at policy changes by Kennedy (reducing scheduled vaccines for children) stalled by legal challenge from the American Academy of Pediatrics (07:47–08:08).
• Polls show vaccine skepticism is not popular with U.S. voters—even among Trump’s base (08:22).

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Baltimore’s New Approach to 911 Calls (09:03–11:29)

Social Services as First Response

• Baltimore to expand programs sending social workers instead of police or EMS to non-violent 911 calls, funded by opioid lawsuit settlements.
• Will address a wider array of issues, not just mental health crises (09:12–09:52).

“A social worker may go out… they’re more trained in the empathetic and compassionate ways that they can talk to people … get them calm and get them into a situation where they go to a hospital … or just really get the help that they need.” — Scott Maccione, WYPR (09:57–10:26)

• Successful model cited in Durham, NC, which has diverted 21,000 calls from police with backup needed in only .01% of cases (11:08–11:21).

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Brief News Updates (11:32–13:50)

• Cyclospiriasis Outbreak Michigan: First U.S. fatalities (two people with underlying conditions), iceberg lettuce identified as the source, over 11,000 cases (11:56–12:16).
• Senate Attorney General Nomination: Todd Blanche’s nomination advances after a controversial tax immunity settlement for the Trump family is clarified (12:21–13:06).
• Country Name Change: The Pacific island nation of Nauru adopts the indigenous “Nau Aero,” a move to honor local heritage (13:06–13:41).

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “He's running in some ways to be the Democratic nominee by running against the Democratic Party.” — Russell Berman, 01:11
• “The difference between us is $46 million of AIPAC spending... we have a responsibility to keep our money here.” — Abdul El Sayed, 02:52
• “Rogers is, as Republican Senate candidates go, one of the strongest that they've recruited in the country and maybe the strongest that they could have gotten in Michigan.” — Russell Berman, 03:35
• “Parents should get their children vaccinated for measles... it stops measles in about 97% of the cases.” — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 06:05
• “A social worker may go out. They're more trained in the empathetic and compassionate ways that they can talk to people like this.” — Scott Maccione, 09:57

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Summary Takeaways

• The fight for Michigan’s Senate seat encapsulates the national struggle for the Democratic Party’s identity, with questions about electability and policy dividing moderates and progressives.
• Vaccine politics remain contentious at the federal level, but public opinion is not aligned with the administration’s skepticism.
• Baltimore is at the forefront of a promising trend in crisis response, inspired by successful models elsewhere.
• Ongoing public health and political news rounds out the episode, reflecting the breadth of urgent issues facing Americans this summer.

For more details or full articles, listeners are directed to the Apple News app.

Transcript

[Gideon Reznick]

Good morning. Voters head to the polls today for

[Co-Host/Reporter]

a critical swing state primary.

[Russell Berman]

Michigan is a state that Democrats cannot afford to lose if they have any hope of winning the Senate majority this year.

[Gideon Reznick]

How President Trump is pushing for vaccine

[Co-Host/Reporter]

changes behind closed doors and a tiny country takes a big leap and alters its name.

[Gideon Reznick]

It's Tuesday, August 4th. I'm Gideon Reznick in for Shamita Basu.

[Co-Host/Reporter]

This is Apple News today.

[Gideon Reznick]

Today, voters will decide what Democrat they

[Co-Host/Reporter]

want to represent them in a crucial Michigan Senate race in November, one that the party likely needs to win to gain control of the chamber. And their options in many ways represent ideological and personality driven choices that voters in primaries across the country have been making.

[Gideon Reznick]

The race has turned into an intense

[Co-Host/Reporter]

and well funded contest. A moderate establishment candidate, four term Congresswoman Haley Stevens is up against Abdul El Sayed, a former public health official who's fired up the progressive wing of the party.

[Russell Berman]

He's running in some ways to be the Democratic nominee by running against the Democratic Party.

[Gideon Reznick]

Russell Berman is a staff writer for

[Co-Host/Reporter]

the Atlantic who spent time in Michigan covering the race.

[Gideon Reznick]

He says the Democratic Party is unpopular

[Co-Host/Reporter]

there, which El Sayed is using to connect with dissatisfied voters.

[Russell Berman]

He's one of the harshest critics of the Democratic Party and yet of course he's running to be their candidate. Basically criticizes Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, as much as he criticizes President Trump.

[Gideon Reznick]

El Sayed's anti establishment stance has attracted

[Co-Host/Reporter]

the support of high profile progressives like

[Gideon Reznick]

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Massachusetts

[Co-Host/Reporter]

Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

[Russell Berman]

A key to a lot of his support is especially younger voters and more progressive voters are not getting excited about anybody who is a conventional candidate with a conventional political resume. And there's rare, really no more conventional political resume than Haley Stevens.

[Gideon Reznick]

She worked on President Obama's auto industry rescue team and is supported by Schumer

[Co-Host/Reporter]

and a number of Michigan's top Democrats, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer. A major source of division in the race, much like the Democratic Party at large has been the war in Gaza and support for Israel. Aipac, the pro Israel lobbying group, has spent tens of millions of dollars on ads supporting Stevens.

[Gideon Reznick]

She describes herself as a pro Israel Democrat, but has often been critical of

[Co-Host/Reporter]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

[Gideon Reznick]

El Sayed is an outspoken opponent of

[Co-Host/Reporter]

American aid to Israel. He's accused Netanyahu of committing genocide in

[Gideon Reznick]

Gaza and he criticized Stevens for accepting

[Co-Host/Reporter]

AIPAC money at their final debate last week.

[Abdul El Sayed]

The difference between us is $46 million of AIPAC spending. They know that she'll be a reliable vote just like she took last week to send your tax dollars to a foreign government that is aiding, arming and abetting the very people who want to forec on the possibility of Palestinian self determination. I believe that we should not be fighting stupid wars that AIPAC wants us to fight in the first place. And I believe we have a responsibility to keep our money here, to invest here. That really is the difference.

[Gideon Reznick]

The race is raising questions about what

[Co-Host/Reporter]

brand of candidate, progressive or moderate, gives Democrats the best chance in November. Against the likely Republican candidate, former Congressman Mike Rogers.

[Gideon Reznick]

He very nearly won Michigan's other Senate

[Co-Host/Reporter]

seat just two years ago.

[Russell Berman]

Rogers is, as Republican Senate candidates go, one of the strongest that they've recruited in the country and maybe the strongest that they could have gotten in Michigan.

[Gideon Reznick]

Across the country, progressive Democrats have seen

[Co-Host/Reporter]

success in deep blue cities like New York, Denver and Washington D.C. and polls largely show El Sayed with a lead over Stevens in the primary.

[Gideon Reznick]

But some Democrats are worried that a

[Co-Host/Reporter]

progressive candidate would have more of a challenge statewide, especially in a battleground.

[Russell Berman]

And of course the big concern, right, is whether El Sayed is simply too far left for a purple state that President Trump won both in 2016 and most recently in 2024.

[Co-Host/Reporter]

In their last debate, Stevens made her case on electability.

[Amos O'Neal]

Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nestle, the Chair of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, Amos o', Neill, they all agree that I will be Michigan's workhorse, that I will stand up for us on day one, that I will beat Mike Rogers just like I have be Republicans four times over.

[Gideon Reznick]

And there is some research that shows

[Co-Host/Reporter]

candidates closer to the ideological middle tend to outperform those further away from it in general elections. But there are no ironclad rules in politics. If El Sayed does win today and goes on to prevail in November, the race could become a major data point in the party's strategy for the presidential primary in 2028.

[Russell Berman]

If El Sayed can win not only the primary but the general election in November, progressives are gonna see this as a huge victory for their because they're going to be able to look to Michigan, point to Michigan and say the Democratic Party's theories and beliefs about quote, unquote, electability in a purple state in a swing state are completely outdated.

[Gideon Reznick]

The United States has recorded more measles

[Co-Host/Reporter]

cases this year than in any other year since the virus was declared eliminated in 2000. It comes amid a years long decline in measles, mumps, rubella, or MMR vaccination rates in children. And more recently, as the Department of

[Gideon Reznick]

Health and Human Services has been led

[Co-Host/Reporter]

by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A major critic of vaccines.

[Gideon Reznick]

This past weekend, he said in an

[Co-Host/Reporter]

interview with CNN's Dana Bash that parents should get the vaccine for their kids.

[Interviewer]

Are you willing to say to parents who have not vaccinated their kids that they should vaccinate their kids for measles because it is safe and it will help them save their children's lives?

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]

Parents should get their children vaccinated for measles. A measles vaccine is effective. It stops measles in about 97% of the cases people should get vaccinated.

[Liz Eslie White]

I thought it was one of his clearest endorsements of the MMR vaccine that he's made thus far.

[Gideon Reznick]

Liz Eslie White is a reporter with

[Co-Host/Reporter]

the Wall Street Journal.

[Liz Eslie White]

We saw him do some of that early on, but it was usually paired with vaccination as a personal choice or another statement that would lead parents to believe that his recommendation wasn't 100%.

[Gideon Reznick]

The public comments follow recent reporting from

[Co-Host/Reporter]

White that privately it's been President Trump that has been forceful on vaccine changes.

[Gideon Reznick]

She told us about a conversation at

[Co-Host/Reporter]

a private lunch in May.

[Liz Eslie White]

The president pushed Kennedy on why he wasn't doing more to probe what is in President Trump's mind, the connection between vaccines and autism. And this came as a surprise to Kennedy. He was taken aback, according to our sources, because he had been told by White House aides, you know, we need to kind of tamp down some of this vaccine rhetoric ahead of the midterms because it's not polling well.

[Gideon Reznick]

According to White, Trump received Covid and

[Co-Host/Reporter]

flu shots last year but has remained skeptical of childhood vaccines, particularly the MMR shot, which he has said he wants to break up into different shots.

[Gideon Reznick]

A long list of studies over the

[Co-Host/Reporter]

years have shown no connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. Kennedy has taken a considerable amount of action to try and change childhood vaccines, including firing a CDC vaccine panel and replacing them with many anti vaccine voices

[Gideon Reznick]

and earlier this year trying to reduce

[Co-Host/Reporter]

the number of vaccines scheduled for children.

[Liz Eslie White]

The American Academy of Pediatrics sued and the judge ruled in favor of the pediatricians. So now that is stuck. But this is part of the bone of contention with the president and the health secretary. Right now, the president has urged Kennedy to go after this activist judge as he considers him.

[Gideon Reznick]

Scientists have said there is no reason to pare back the schedule, and Trump's

[Co-Host/Reporter]

push is going against the advice of some advisors who found that vaccine Skepticism is less popular with voters than other Kennedy focused topics like food reforms.

[Liz Eslie White]

Trump's own pollster found last winter that the vaccine skepticism from the administration was unpopular with voters. And another survey found in June, adults say they trust health information from their own Doctors, while only 34% said they trusted it from Kennedy. So there is a real sense that they've done a lot on vaccines in the last year, but it hasn't held up in court. And then it's not doing well in the court of public opinion either.

[Gideon Reznick]

An HHS spokesperson told the Journal that

[Co-Host/Reporter]

Kennedy and Trump were aligned in, quote, confronting the chronic disease epidemic facing children in America.

[Gideon Reznick]

Baltimore wants to overhaul how it responds

[Co-Host/Reporter]

to 911 calls to help people who may need social services rather than a squad car.

[Gideon Reznick]

Every year, the city gets tens of

[Co-Host/Reporter]

thousands of calls that don't really require a response from your typical first responders, police or firefighters or ems. So this year, Baltimore is expanding its branch of first responders to help people who need support but aren't necessarily experiencing a life threatening emergency.

[Scott Maccione]

It might be someone yelling in a park or someone who doesn't have the resources they need and is stuck at a gas station, possibly like a mother who has just left a domestic abuse situation and their child and her need diapers and food for a couple of nights.

[Co-Host/Reporter]

Scott Maccione covers health for WYPR News in Baltimore.

[Gideon Reznick]

He says when police respond to situations

[Co-Host/Reporter]

involving someone going through a mental health crisis, people often end up in jail, the hospital, or worse.

[Scott Maccione]

And unfortunately, you know, that person may act in an erratic way and police officers may take that as a form of violence and it ends up tragically where someone dies. Whereas in this situation, a social worker may go out. They're more trained in the empathetic and compassionate ways that they can talk to people like this. And that way they hopefully get them calm and get them into a situation where they go to a hospital or go to a clinic or just really get the help that they need.

[Gideon Reznick]

For years, Baltimore has run a more

[Co-Host/Reporter]

limited version of this program, which primarily focused on mental health support.

[Gideon Reznick]

According to the national alliance on Mental Health, there are about 2,700 programs like

[Co-Host/Reporter]

that across the country.

[Gideon Reznick]

But now a unique circumstance is going

[Co-Host/Reporter]

to let the city dramatically expand its offerings. Baltimore is using $15 million it received from recent legal settlements with companies involved in the opioid epidemic.

[Gideon Reznick]

The money will allow for the new

[Co-Host/Reporter]

system to run around the clock and let responders address a wider variety of crises.

[Gideon Reznick]

Now, only a handful of other US

[Co-Host/Reporter]

Cities have tried something like this. At this scale.

[Gideon Reznick]

In Durham, N.C. officials have been running

[Co-Host/Reporter]

a similar program for four years, with some promising results.

[Gideon Reznick]

The city has diverted over 21,000 calls

[Co-Host/Reporter]

that would have gone to police, and it said police backup was only needed for a small percentage of those calls, something like.01% of cases.

[Scott Maccione]

These people are well trained for what they're doing and also know when to call for backup if they actually need it.

[Gideon Reznick]

Durham's 911 response time has also sped

[Co-Host/Reporter]

up for all types of calls. Baltimore hopes for similar results as it rolls out the expanded program later this. Here are a few other stories we're following today. State health officials in Michigan said that two people died in the state's cyclospiriasis outbreak, marking the first reported fatalities since the outbreak began in May.

[Gideon Reznick]

The state's health department stressed that both

[Co-Host/Reporter]

people had significant underlying health conditions, and while the illness can be deeply unpleasant, the CDC said that it is rarely fatal.

[Gideon Reznick]

Contaminated iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms has

[Co-Host/Reporter]

been linked to the outbreak in Michigan and a number of other states. Michigan's overall case count is over 11,000.

[Gideon Reznick]

The US outbreak is believed to be

[Co-Host/Reporter]

the largest on record.

[Gideon Reznick]

The Senate is set to hold a

[Co-Host/Reporter]

vote to advance the nomination of President Trump's attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche today,

[Gideon Reznick]

and his path to confirmation got a

[Co-Host/Reporter]

lot clearer after two Republican holdouts agreed on Monday to support him.

[Gideon Reznick]

Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis had

[Co-Host/Reporter]

stalled the nomination over concerns about a settlement agreement between Trump and the IRS. It involved the creation of a $1.8 billion payout fund for people who claimed to be victims of political prosecutions, and it gave Trump, his family and his companies immunity from tax audits.

[Gideon Reznick]

Blanche issued a memo on Sunday formally

[Co-Host/Reporter]

eliminating the payout fund, and he clarified that the audit agreement only protects the Trumps from investigations into past tax filings, but it doesn't rule out future tax audits.

[Gideon Reznick]

And finally, one of the world's smallest

[Co-Host/Reporter]

countries is getting a name change. Nauru, the island nation in the South Pacific formerly spelled N A U R U, will now be going by Nau Aero N A O E R O,

[Gideon Reznick]

which is more in line with how

[Co-Host/Reporter]

its residents refer to the country.

[Gideon Reznick]

The country's parliament unanimously approved the name

[Co-Host/Reporter]

change earlier this year, and President David Adyoung said the move will honor the country's heritage and identity.

[Gideon Reznick]

Now aero has about 12,000 residents and

[Co-Host/Reporter]

was administered by Germany and Australia before it became independent in 1968.

[Gideon Reznick]

Now the country will rename National Aircrafts

[Co-Host/Reporter]

and Ships, and the website of the UN has already been updated to reflect the will of the country's leaders.

[Gideon Reznick]

You can find all these stories and

[Co-Host/Reporter]

more in the Apple News app.

[Gideon Reznick]

And if you're already listening to the news app right now, we've got a

[Co-Host/Reporter]

narrated article coming up next.

[Gideon Reznick]

Rolling Stone goes deep inside the frantic

[Co-Host/Reporter]

search for Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager who disappeared during a boating trip with

[Gideon Reznick]

friends and whose death sparked a national conversation. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story.

[Co-Host/Reporter]

And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.