Leftist Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed finds himself under fire after comments resurfaced hinting at his disdain for Mackinac Island, a treasured vacation destination in Michigan.

Following his victory over moderate Congresswoman Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s primary, El-Sayed has become a rising star in liberal circles, amassing over $2.3 million in just 48 hours post-win.

Yet, the candidate, who enjoys backing from Bernie Sanders, is engulfed in controversy over a 2018 video that recently went viral, where he expresses dislike for the picturesque island, nestled nearly 300 miles north of Detroit, close to the Canadian frontier.

The video, dating back to his gubernatorial campaign, features El-Sayed lamenting the prospect of spending time on Mackinac Island, where the state governor traditionally gets a seasonal residence.

‘It’s funny,’ he remarked, ‘because, like, if we win, this will be, like, the summer home. I’m just standing here thinking, every time I’ve ever come here, I’ve hated it. Why am I here?’

El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, has pounced on the resurfaced gaffe, posting multiple photos of himself and his wife enjoying time on the island. 

‘There’s no place like Mackinac,’ wrote Rogers, captioning a photo of himself and his wife enjoying ice cream on the island. 

El-Sayed, who Donald Trump has already referred to as a ‘communist loser’ – has clumsily doubled down on the statement, having responded to a social media account that referred to Mackinac as ‘the most American place in Michigan.’

‘Not sure about “End Wokeness,” but I don’t think the most “American place in MI” can be a place that…bans cars,’ he said in an apparent reference to Michigan’s history as an auto production powerhouse. 

Cars have been banned from the island since the 1890s, with the only option for travel by foot, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage.  

El-Sayed lost Mackinac County in the primary to Stevens by four points, though only around 1,400 people voted. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the El-Sayed campaign for comment.

Conservative strategists have long wanted El-Sayed as the opponent for Rogers, who ran unopposed after an early Trump endorsement cleared the GOP field.

El-Sayed is wasting no time, challenging Rogers to five debates.

‘We took on a machine,’ he told supporters in Detroit. ‘The power of our many is greater than the power of their money.’

Stevens telephoned him on Wednesday morning to concede and pledged her support.

Vice President JD Vance also jabbed at El-Sayed while giving remarks at the White House on Wednesday, saying that you never know what a future administration could look like, adding: ‘God forbid you’re gonna have President El-Sayed in three years.’

Michigan’s Senate seat, open because two-term Democrat Gary Peters is retiring, could decide control of the Senate. Republicans have not won a Michigan Senate race since 1994, though Rogers came within a whisker of beating Elissa Slotkin in 2024.

Jessica Anderson, president of the Sentinel Action Fund, which is backing Rogers, said the result ‘should make the choice easy in November,’ pitting ‘a far-Left socialist’ against ‘an America First leader.’

‘This election is no longer just Democrat versus Republican. It is socialism versus solutions,’ she added. Sentinel and its sister group Right Vote have committed a combined $15million to Michigan.

What polling forecasted to be a double-digit thumping turned out to be a squeaker of a result that left nail-biting Democrats anxious and angry. The New York Times estimated El-Sayed would ultimately win by 1.5 percentage points, based on more than 90 percent of the vote that’s been counted. 

Even before the primary night call, Republicans signaled they were savoring a fight with El-Sayed, a 41-year-old doctor, born and raised in Michigan. 

Rogers was caught on tape saying he would be ‘in good shape’ in a general election against El-Sayed. 

And even Democrats impressed with El-Sayed’s raw talent are raising concerns he can pull together a broad enough coalition to win in November.

‘He enters the general election trailing his Republican opponent in the gold standard MI poll, in a state Biden won in 2020 while other Democrats are posting leads over Republicans in states Trump won by double digits,’ wrote Adam Jentleson, a Democratic strategist, forecasting what soon awaits El-Sayed. 

‘I believe Abdul can win because he is so talented. But it is also not irrational to worry,’ he added.

El-Sayed’s lead had shriveled through the night as votes crawled in from Wayne County, home to Detroit and the state’s biggest prize.

Rogers is not a novelty opponent. He came within 19,000 votes of Elissa Slotkin in 2024, losing 48.6 to 48.3 – just three-tenths of a point – in the same cycle Trump carried Michigan.

Ashley Garibay

Dale Schultz

Christopher Claunch

What we know about the shooting

According to emerging insights from U.S. intelligence, Russian President Vladimir Putin may contemplate an offensive against a NATO ally in the foreseeable future. This potential move is seen as an attempt to dismantle the alliance’s structure formed after World War II and to challenge the core of its collective defense principle, Article 5.

In previous analyses, U.S. intelligence believed Putin would refrain from targeting a NATO member while engaged in the Ukraine conflict. However, with Ukraine gaining ground, indications are emerging from the U.S. and Europe that the Russian leader is looking to test NATO’s resolve. This shift in strategy was highlighted in a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Recent incidents adding to these concerns include a drone striking an apartment building in Romania and cruise missiles landing in Polish territory, both of which are NATO countries.

NATO’s Article 5 is foundational, declaring that an attack against one ally is considered an assault on all member nations.

The assessment said it would likely be a limited attack that could range anywhere from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion and would likely be focused on the Baltics or Poland.

The attack could happen any time between this fall and 2029, the assessment said.

“The question mark is how the United States would respond in that case,” Heather Conley, senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, told the Journal. “It has always been a goal [of Russia’s] to challenge the credibility of NATO and to separate the United States from its allies.”

The assessment also comes amid claims the United States’ munitions stockpile has been depleted by arms sent to support Ukraine and due to the war in Iran.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, however, called those claims false.

“We have everything required to strike at the time and place of the president’s choosing,” Parnell told the Journal. “Across multiple combatant commands, we have already executed successful operations while maintaining a deep, ready arsenal to defend our people and our interests. Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way.”

A land incursion was deemed the least likely because it would trigger Article 5, but it’s unclear what the response would be to something like a cyberattack.

“This has always been NATO’s challenge to respond to a sub-Article 5 attack, and it’s been very true that to this point, NATO allies have preferred not to escalate,” Conley told the Journal.

News Media has reached out to NATO for comment.

Col. Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesman, told the Journal, “We are always thinking through and preparing for any number of scenarios. NATO is watching, and we are ready to deter and defend as necessary, which we continue to demonstrate.”

In a thrilling display of athleticism seen in the Double-A Southern League, one of the most stunning catches of the year in professional baseball unfolded on Friday night.

Mark Coley II, a promising talent in the Brewers’ lineup, dazzled fans by robbing a home run with remarkable flair, thwarting a homer by one of baseball’s top-100 prospects, in what may be one of the most outstanding plays of the 2026 season.

In his fourth Double-A appearance, Eric Hartman—a celebrated Braves outfielder ranked 73rd overall and the second-highest prospect on MLB Pipeline—brought his impressive record from High-A, where he belted 24 homers, and launched a powerful drive deep into right-center field at Synovus Park in Columbus, Georgia.

Stationed at center field, Coley pursued the soaring ball until it neared the wall. Timing his leap perfectly, he reached for the descending shot, making contact with his glove at the critical moment.

However, Coley’s initial attempt wasn’t enough to secure the catch, as he inadvertently knocked the ball onto the warning track in a heart-stopping moment.

As he fell to the dirt, though, Coley caught the ball with his glove while on his backside for what was an incredible F8 putout in the scorebook.

Coley helped save his starter, Manuel Rodriguez, who would have served up back-to-back-to-back home runs had the catch not been made.

It harkened back to Nationals center fielder Jacob Young, who made a circus catch at the wall — using his foot to catch a rebound — last September against the Mets’ Brett Baty.

Dewayne Wise, notably in 2009, saved White Sox hurler Mark Buehrle’s perfect game with a near-identical catch as Coley, though Wise caught his second effort with the bare hand.

Hartman later did get a measure of revenge, doubling to center on a play Coley was unable to catch.

Coley didn’t factor in at the plate for Double-A Biloxi in an 0-for-3 night during a 4-2 loss, but his defense turned plenty of heads.

Royce White has announced his intent to enter next year’s WNBA Draft, marking him as the second former NBA player to make such a declaration amidst the ongoing debate around transgender athletes in sports.

This development follows Enes Kanter Freedom’s similar announcement. Standing at 6ft 10in, Freedom played in the NBA for 11 seasons and revealed his plans to join the WNBA just last Friday.

White, currently pursuing the Republican Senate nomination in Minnesota, shared with Fox News Digital his new transgender identity and expressed his eagerness to compete alongside talents such as Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham in the upcoming season.

He declared, “I’m transgender. I’m a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for the purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I’ll be declaring for the WNBA draft in 2027 as well.”

Expressing confidence in his abilities, White said, “I think I’d be unstoppable. But I’m a team-first guy. I’m a pass-first kind of player. I do the little things. I led my team in all five major stat categories at Iowa State University, so I do a little bit of everything.”

‘I’ll do whatever the coach needs me to do. I’ll do whatever the girls need me to do.’

White, a former first-round draft pick who only played three games in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings, insisted that only the WNBA releasing ‘a definitive statement about guys with a pair of b**** playing in the Women’s Association’ could stop him.

‘I don’t want to be discriminated against,’ he continued. ‘I want fair treatment. I’m a young black, hopefully United States Senator, that would like a fair chance to participate as a sometimes-identifying-as-a-transgender-woman athlete.’

He also vowed to wear a wig while he’s playing and said WNBA players will have ‘nightmares… and they should’ about him potentially competing against them.

‘I am 260 pounds, 6ft 8, can palm a men’s basketball probably as easily as any player in history,’ White, 35, continued. ‘I think I had the third biggest hands in the history of the modern NBA Draft combine. I really feel like I’m going to be dominant.’

When asked if he would use the women’s locker room in the WNBA, he replied: ‘Of course. I don’t want to be discriminated against. Why wouldn’t I use the women’s locker room?

‘I have great respect for the skill of women’s basketball. They have to play a much more skilled game because they don’t have some of the physical God-given abilities as the men.

‘So I have great respect for the women’s game but there is a significant difference between biological men and women and we’ve blurred that line, like we’ve blurred many other lines unnecessarily, and I plan to exploit that for my economic and athletic benefit.’ 

White’s declaration comes amid an ongoing culture war within the WNBA, sparked by Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham after she said in an interview with ESPN that she wants to ‘protect young girls’ from ‘biological men’ in sports.

Since making the comments, the sports world has been left divided. 

While some, such as Riley Gaines and Stephen A. Smith, have seemingly sided with the Fever star, others have openly criticized her and booed her on the court. 

Recently, the bitter culture war deepened after Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams claimed she would happily welcome a trans player to her team.

‘I think trans rights, right now, is our new battle,’ Williams said in a recent interview, adding: ‘We see people’s trans rights being stripped away from them; there’s a lot of discourse around trans athletes and what they can compete in.

‘I would welcome a trans athlete on my team or against my team, anytime,’ Williams added. ‘I don’t think it’s a problem in the world.’ 

In the wake of Cunningham’s comments, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made her feelings on the topic extremely clear on Sunday – after opting to wear a ‘Trans Kids Belong’ t-shirt on the sidelines of their game against the Fever. 

Freedom shared his own declaration for the WNBA Draft with his fans through a post on social media on Friday afternoon.

In a video, the former New York Knicks and Boston Celtics star said: ‘After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect.

‘If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.

‘My team and I have carefully examined the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and governing framework surrounding self-identification and inclusion. Based on the current guidelines, I can and am officially declaring my eligibility for the upcoming WNBA draft in April 2027.

‘I know my presence on the court will stir up strong opinions. I am definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices.

‘I’m simply asking that the current rules be applied equally to everyone – the rules that represent the very values many WNBA players and coaches have publicly advocated for.

‘My team and I are prepared to ensure these guidelines are applied equally, consistently, and without exception, and I look forward to the #WNBA honoring its stated principles. See you at training camp.’

The 34-year-old was previously picked third overall at the 2011 NBA Draft, before enjoying a career that took him to the Jazz, Thunder, Knicks, Trail Blazers and Celtics. He has not played a professional game since 2022.

Freedom’s post quickly went viral on social media as a number of political commentators threw their support behind the NBA veteran and his decision.

Riley Gaines was among those to respond to the post, writing: ‘Genius. Perfect. Waiting to see which WNBA team recruits’.

Similarly, Piers Morgan wrote on X: ‘Brilliant… now let’s see how keen the @WNBA stars are for men to play in their League.’

Clay Travis, meanwhile, who recently offered to pay $10 million to WNBA champions the Las Vegas Aces if they can beat a high school boys basketball team of his choosing, wrote: ‘Amazing. Well done.’

CHICAGO (WLS) — On a disturbing Friday morning, authorities removed a significant number of decomposing bodies from a funeral home on Chicago’s Southeast Side. The grim discovery had been made the evening before, shocking the community and authorities alike.

Efforts are underway by the Cook County Medical Examiner to identify the remains discovered at the South Chicago Chapel, located on 95th Street. The scene has sparked outrage and disbelief among local residents and families involved.

Throughout the night and into the early hours of Friday morning, a procession of vans transported the bodies away from the South Chicago Chapel. Officials reported nearly 60 bodies were left to decompose, improperly stored at temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Alarmingly, local residents had been complaining about a persistent foul odor in the vicinity for several months.

The revelation that 56 bodies had been stored in such a deplorable state has left families using the South Chicago Chapel in shock and demand for explanations is mounting. Many are grappling with the distressing news and seeking clarification on how such neglect could have occurred.

On Friday, families arrived at the funeral home, desperate for answers. ABC7 has captured heart-wrenching accounts of their frustration and sorrow. Several families report experiencing long waits for their loved one’s remains, only to now face uncertainty over whether the remains they received are indeed those of their loved ones.

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Several bodies were removed from the home Friday and driven away in vans to be identified. It could take days to identify all of the remains, which officials say were improperly stored.

“It’s crazy,” Valkiery Velez, who lives next door to the funeral home, said. “I have a kid too. And to have him smell that, it’s insane.”

Neighbors said they’ve smelled a foul odor around South Chicago Chapel for weeks, if not months.

“Oh man, it’s awful,” Velez said. “I’ve lived here for about a year and I could smell it this entire year. It’s like dead rodents, dead animals, you can smell it yeah.”

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said investigators found more than 50 bodies in various states of decomposition Thursday in the South Deering funeral home. Teams are now working to identify the deceased and review records, including death certificates to notify families as quickly as possible.

“We don’t know if Melody is in there or not,” Patrice Halliburton, whose sister was cremated at the home, said. “So right now, we’re more fearful that she is than we are angry.”

Halliburton’s sister Melody Johnson passed away May 23. They held her funeral services on June 13 and had her cremated at South Chicago Chapel. She said they picked up what they believed were her ashes a week later, but now are questioning if in fact the ashes of those of their loved.

“I have no idea how something like this could happen,” Haliburton said. “I have no idea how someone’s conscience could allow something like this to happen. There are no words and I’m really concerned about my niece and my nephews because this is their mom. And they don’t know, and for them to have an urn and they don’t know who is there, if that is really their mom, this is a really difficult time for them.”

Families in South Deering are now left with more questions than answers.

“We don’t know if we have her remains,” Haliburton said. “We don’t know if she’s still there. We have no idea and they won’t answer any of our phone calls.”

Latasha Johnson said she became concerned shortly before her mother’s funeral Thursday. Johnson recalled pulling back a curtain inside the funeral home and seeing a body.

“I pulled a curtain back. There’s a body laying there. I’m thinking this must be what they do in the funeral home,” Johnson said.

Police arrived at the funeral home as Johnson’s mother’s funeral was taking place Thursday and awaited a warrant to search the property. Hours later, the medical examiner reported the discovery of 56 bodies stored improperly.

Johnson said she also noticed what she described as a strong odor inside the funeral home. She said the funeral director’s husband attributed the smell to mildew.

“He got Lysol. You spraying Lysol over death,” Johnson said.

The discovery has left other families seeking information about their loved ones.

“I just want my mama body back. Y’all can do whatever else you want to do just please give me my mama back,” said Franquella Campbell, whose family also used South Chicago Chapel.

Charlene Bays said it took the funeral home nearly three months last year to provide her brother’s ashes.

“I’m not even sure who they gave us. I don’t even know if it’s him or not because they made us wait so long, gave us the runaround,” Bays said.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which licenses funeral directors, said it has suspended the license of funeral director Johanna Morgan. The agency also revoked the license of her husband, Clark Morgan, in 2024.

Last year, the state comptroller shut down a Chicago Heights crematory owned by Clark Morgan after more than 100 bodies were improperly stored there.

The state said Johanna Morgan’s license was just suspended on Wednesday, and that’s not the first time. Records show she has faced a history of disciplinary action.

The latest came over conditions inside South Chicago Chapel. Records said Johanna allowed, “multiple decedents to be kept in an unrefrigerated area with deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.”

After learning about all this, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it’s working with investigators to ensure all appropriate regulatory and public safety steps are taken.

“They should have criminal charges pressed against them for how they mishandle these bodies,” Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. “These people should be in jail. That’s where they should be.”

The developments have prompted questions from affected families.

“Why, if they closed down one facility, why did they, why didn’t they close this one down?” Angela Young asked.

Johnson said she encountered additional problems before her mother’s funeral. She said her mother’s body had not been dressed properly, forcing family members to prepare her themselves.

“Basically I set my mom up, and I asked family to help, to assist me. They really didn’t want to touch my momma. I didn’t want to touch her. I wanted to remember my mom warm,” Johnson said.

Johnson also said the funeral home’s memorial program included AI-generated images of her mother.

“These are fake people. Artificial intelligence inside an obituary,” Johnson said.

Asked what should happen to those responsible, Johnson responded: “Jail.”

Illinois State Police say their crime scene services investigators are helping the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identify the 56 bodies found in this building, but for people like Charlene Bays, it’s unclear what they can do to identify those cremated remains.

Alderman Peter Chico said in a statement, “I was horrified when I found out about the bodies at the South Chicago Chapel Funeral Home. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who may have had loved ones there.”

ABC7 reached out to the funeral home and is still waiting for a response.