It’s Monday, August 3. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Zineb Riboua on what really caused Spain’s migration crisis. Josh Code sits down with the literature professor fired for teaching literature. Michael Oren breaks down Donald Trump’s latest Gaza deal. And much more.
But first: the battle for Michigan—and the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party’s civil war will see a major battle this week. The action will be in Michigan on Tuesday, when progressive populist Abdul El-Sayed will square off against Haley Stevens, a moderate congresswoman, in perhaps the most watched Senate primary of the cycle so far. El-Sayed is running as a fierce critic of Israel and the political establishment, not DSA-endorsed but certainly DSA-adjacent. Stevens is a far more conventional candidate, and has the backing of Michigan big hitters, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The stakes are as high as the dividing lines are clear. The Democrats need to win the seat to stand a chance of taking control of the Senate. Victory for El-Sayed in a purple state like Michigan sets up the biggest test yet for the insurgent faction seeking to grab the reins of the Democratic Party.
Ahead of Election Day, we sent Olivia Reingold to Michigan to take the temperature of the race. Here’s what she found.
Matthew Yglesias watches Democratic Party infighting more closely than almost anyone. He’s a Democrat who says he’s tired of seeing his party play what he calls “loser politics.” On the latest episode of Conversations with Coleman, he talks to Coleman Hughes about the state of the Democratic Party, the rise of democratic socialists, and much more. Don’t miss their conversation:
From a moderate Democrat to someone much further left: Eric Hovagim has worked with New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and popular Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. Now he’s living in China, where he makes videos about why the United States is the “fourth Reich,” why Elon Musk is a “valid military target,” and what makes the Chinese Communist Party great. Tanner Nau spoke to Hovagim. Read his piece for a look at one young American, whose story, while not exactly typical, is nonetheless representative of the kind of energy on the radical left today.
—The Editors
Late last week, the world was captivated by footage of tens of thousands of migrants crossing from Morocco into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. In the days since, competing narratives have emerged online: Some have accused Morocco of orchestrating the stunt, while others have said that Israel is somehow to blame. All wrong, writes Zineb Riboua today. Her piece today explains what’s really behind the dramatic scenes.
For nearly a decade, Florida professor Vinita Prabhakar taught a prizewinning short story as part of her literature course at South Florida State College. She never had any trouble—until this February, when a staff member complained about the assignment to the university president, a Republican former member of the Florida House. The next day, Prabhakar was suspended and told her teaching contract would not be renewed. Now, she’s suing the administration for violating her free speech rights. She talks to Josh Code about what happened—and what it says about the state of academic freedom at public universities.
President Trump has announced that the “Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.” That would certainly be historic, but how likely is it to happen? Michael Oren breaks down the details and asks: What will it take for Hamas to actually give up its guns?
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THE NEWS
President Trump announced on Sunday that talks with Iran will resume on Monday. The move follows his decision over the weekend to cancel a new round of strikes against the Islamic Republic, explaining that the two sides had reached the “perimeters of a deal” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
At least seven states reported cyberattacks that interrupted their water systems last week. The incidents prompted the FBI to issue a federal warning about “malicious cyber actors,” with some intelligence officials saying the attacks could be coming from Iran.
The number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions hit a record high for the second Trump administration during the month of July. The surge comes after the agency significantly expanded its operations, making arrests in airports and immigration offices across the country.
Bernie Moreno, the Republican senator from Ohio, declared Representative Max Miller—his former son-in-law—“unfit for office” this weekend. Moreno’s daughter has accused Miller of abusing her and their daughter.
WestJet, Canada’s second biggest airline, halted hundreds of flights across the country this weekend due to a massive strike. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 flight attendants, is demanding higher wages.
On Friday, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss charges alleging that damage to the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., was caused by vandalism. Prosecutors say it actually came from a “botched installation,” while President Trump continues to allege foul play.
Legendary actor Vincent Pastore passed away at age 80. Pastore is best-remembered for his role as Tony Soprano’s close confidant Salvatore on The Sopranos.
Is no one going to mention the WSJ piece on Israelis spitting snot on Christians in Israel. I'm mortified. There's hardly a more base behavior. Anyone want to rationalize or defend that?
Regarding Trump's "record-high" July ICE detentions: first of all -- GOOD. But here's that ol' double standard again, which of course TFP must share (the source is CBS, after all): Obama AVERAGED 45k/mo for the whole 2012. But we don't even have the monthly figures, only qtrs -- because, well, journos weren't AFTER him.
Studies of coverage volume and tone (from outlets across the spectrum, as well as academic and media-watch analyses) consistently show that Trump receives substantially more negative and higher-volume scrutiny than Barack Obama did on ALL comparable policy areas, including immigration enforcement.
Journos and "advocacy" groups are currently far more motivated to obtain, highlight, and frame monthly ICE arrest/detention spikes under Trump as evidence of an aggressive crackdown. The same level of sustained, real-time pressure for granular numbers was not applied to Obama-era peaks in the same way. That incentive structure helps explain why internal 2026 monthly figures surface quickly through leaks, FOIAs, and reporting, and 2012 is just a shadowy figure...