BREAKING NEWS: Far-Left 'Squad' Member LOSES Primary Race - Democrats Are STUNNED
Washington D.C. — Progressive activist and former Media Matters journalist Kat Abughazaleh has lost her bid for the Democratic nomination in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.
Abughazaleh was one of 15 candidates competing to replace retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who served nearly three decades in Congress. The district is heavily Democratic, making the primary the decisive contest for the seat.
Daniel Biss, who campaigned on a more traditional Democratic platform, won the nomination. Abughazaleh positioned her campaign as a challenge to the party’s establishment, emphasizing a younger, digital-focused approach.
Abughazaleh, 26, gained national attention in left-wing circles through her online presence and advocacy. She framed her campaign as an alternative to entrenched political structures, promoting it as “a new type of Democratic campaign.” She stated that the campaign was not for right-wing billionaires or members of the Democratic consultant class.
The results indicate that voters in the district favored a more conventional candidate with established political experience and local ties. During the campaign, Abughazaleh drew attention for distancing herself from party leadership. In a debate, she said she did not support Hakeem Jeffries continuing in his role, a position that resonated with some progressive activists but raised concerns among Democrats focused on party unity ahead of the midterm elections.
Abughazaleh’s campaign also faced scrutiny following a federal indictment late last year related to an incident involving demonstrators and a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle outside a suburban Chicago facility. The case became a point of contention in the competitive primary.
In contrast, Biss largely avoided public intraparty disputes and received the endorsement of Schakowsky, which provided support among established Democratic voters in the district. With the primary concluded, Biss is considered the leading candidate heading into the general election in a district that has consistently elected Democrats.
Abughazaleh stands accused of repeatedly standing in front of federal vehicles and interfering with ICE agents during protests outside the agency’s Broadview, Ill., detention facility. She was one of six individuals charged in connection with the demonstrations, which had continued for several weeks.
The indictment alleges that Abughazaleh “physically hindered and impeded” an agent who was forced to drive at an extremely slow speed to avoid injuring any of the protesters. Abughazaleh was charged along with five other individuals involved in the protests, including two other political candidates.
The Broadview ICE facility has been the site of repeated demonstrations and clashes involving far-left activists. Several Democratic candidates for the open House seat, including Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Abughazaleh, have recorded themselves participating in protests that involved blocking ICE vehicles.
Other demonstrators engaged in more aggressive actions, including throwing rocks at federal vehicles, slashing tires, and confronting agents. Federal officers responded with crowd-control measures such as pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets.
In a video posted on X, Abughazaleh spoke about how she and other protesters obstructed a moving ICE vehicle. The indictment includes one count of conspiracy and a second charge alleging that she forcibly impeded, intimidated, and interfered with a federal agent in the performance of official duties.
IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE — Nightmare Brewing for Hakeem Jeffries as He Could Be OUT After Facing Heat From Dems...
Washington, D.C. - June 3, 2026
Hakeem Jeffries Encounters Growing Reluctance from Democratic Candidates to Back His Leadership
Washington, D.C. — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is facing increasing resistance from Democratic candidates who are declining to commit to supporting his leadership if the party regains the House majority in November.
A significant number of viable Democratic challengers have indicated to Axios that voting for Jeffries as speaker would not be automatic. Last fall, more than 80 Democratic House candidates expressed uncertainty or outright opposition to his continued leadership. The situation has worsened in recent months.
Mai Vang, a progressive primary challenger to Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), previously offered a noncommittal response about supporting whoever her future colleagues choose. In a more recent statement, she directly criticized Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The Democratic Party and its leadership—Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries—have failed to mobilize meaningful opposition to Trump’s illegal war and their silence as AIPAC and corporations flood Congressional primaries with millions of dollars is deafening,” Vang said.
Claire Valdez, a New York State Assembly member running to replace retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), told Axios that supporting Jeffries would require “some conversations” first.
Other candidates have proposed alternatives. Anabel Mendoza, a progressive running in Illinois’ 7th District, said she would prefer Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in the leadership role because she is “10 toes down on what matters.”
Some candidates noted that conversations about Jeffries’ future would likely change significantly if Democrats fail to win the House.
Jeffries is also confronting a sharply deteriorating redistricting environment. After initial Democratic optimism following a Virginia referendum victory aimed at gaining up to four seats, recent legal and political developments have turned against the party. In a worst-case scenario, Democrats could lose as many as 10 seats due to aggressive Republican redistricting and court rulings.
Florida Republicans advanced a congressional map that could eliminate up to four Democratic seats, surprising even some GOP observers. Virginia’s Supreme Court has signaled it may overturn the Democrats’ hard-won referendum win. The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais has created new opportunities for Republicans in several Southern states.
In Tennessee, GOP lawmakers have circulated a map targeting Rep. Steve Cohen’s Memphis seat. Louisiana Republicans are positioned to reduce Democratic representation in the state. Alabama officials are seeking to lift an injunction protecting the current map. South Carolina is considering a map that would eliminate Rep. Jim Clyburn’s deeply blue seat. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has expressed interest in challenging Rep. Bennie Thompson.
While some maps remain subject to legal challenges and Democrats hope to compete in certain districts, the overall trajectory has shifted against the party. The combination of internal leadership doubts and unfavorable redistricting has created substantial uncertainty for Jeffries and House Democrats heading into the midterms.
Iranian State TV Announces Death Of Khamenei’s Wife After US Israeli Airstrike
Iranian state television presenters announced the death of Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, the 79-year-old wife of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after she succumbed to injuries sustained in the same US-Israeli airstrike that killed her husband at his compound in Tehran.
She died two days after Khamenei was killed, The Wall Street Journal reported. State television declared that Bagherzadeh’s “long dream of martyrdom became true” and said her death would spark “a massive uprising in the fight against oppressors.”
The announcement followed an earlier broadcast in which an anchor tearfully reported the Supreme Leader’s death. Iran declared an official 40-day mourning period and a seven-day national holiday.
According to the Daily Mail, Bagherzadeh married Khamenei in 1965. They had four sons and two daughters.
In a 2011 interview with state media, she described her role as maintaining a calm home environment so her husband could work in peace.
“I think my biggest role was to preserve a calm atmosphere in our home so that he could do his work in peace,” she said.
She also said she visited him in prison without burdening him with family problems and “would only give him good news.”
She acknowledged distributing pamphlets, carrying messages, and hiding documents during the revolutionary period but described those efforts as “not worth mentioning.”
Her death comes amid escalating military exchanges between Iran and US-Israeli forces.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society said at least 555 people have been killed across Iran in the campaign, with more than 130 cities coming under attack.
Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, condemned the strikes as “unlawful, criminal and brutal” and alleged that the Natanz nuclear enrichment site was targeted.
“Their justification that Iran wants to develop nuclear weapons is simply a big lie,” Najafi told journalists.
Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian security official, wrote on X that “we will not negotiate with the United States.”
Iran is believed to have launched multiple retaliatory attacks across the region.
An attack reportedly struck the American embassy compound in Kuwait City, though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down three American F 15E Strike Eagles.
US Central Command confirmed that all six aircrew ejected safely, were recovered, and are in stable condition.
A pro-Iranian militia in Iraq launched attacks targeting Irbil and a British base in Cyprus. Officials in Oman said a drone boat struck an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman near Muscat, killing one mariner.
Saudi Aramco temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery near Dammam after Iranian drones targeted it.
Saudi state television described the shutdown as “a precautionary one.”
Officials reported 11 people killed in Israel and 31 in Lebanon during the exchanges.
Iran’s combat fleet was engaged in the conflict for the first time.
Iranian officials have framed Bagherzadeh’s death as an act of martyrdom as the country enters a prolonged mourning period.
The conflict continues to evolve as regional tensions remain high.
A senior White House official stated on Sunday that Iran’s “new potential leadership” has indicated a willingness to engage in talks with the United States. This announcement follows a significant military operation by American and Israeli forces, which resulted in the deaths of Iran’s supreme leader and several high-ranking officials, according to Fox News.
The official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal administration matters, mentioned that President Donald Trump is “eventually” open to negotiations, but for the time being, the military operation “continues unabated.” The official did not specify who the potential new leaders of Iran are or how they expressed their willingness to negotiate.
Trump told The Atlantic on Sunday that he planned to speak with Iran’s new leadership.
“They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them,” he said, declining comment on the timing.
