Progressive Democrats Challenge Corporate Establishment in Wisconsin and Minnesota as Colombia’s Poor Suffer Deadly Quake
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Democratic primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota expose deep rifts between grassroots progressives and entrenched establishment forces, while a devastating earthquake in Colombia highlights the vulnerability of marginalized communities. Meanwhile, U.S. military posturing continues abroad, and climate crisis records are shattered at home.
In Wisconsin and Minnesota, Democratic candidates are waging critical primary battles that lay bare the widening chasm between progressive voices demanding transformative change and the party’s corporate-aligned establishment. In Wisconsin, state Rep. Francesca Hong, a proud democratic socialist advocating for working-class interests, leads the polls for governor against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, whose campaign is buoyed by establishment donors and centrist interests. In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a champion of progressive policies, faces a challenge from moderate Rep. Angie Craig, who touts her 2018 victory flipping a GOP seat but has been criticized for siding with corporate interests over the needs of ordinary people.
Meanwhile, a catastrophic 7.4-magnitude earthquake has ravaged western Colombia, killing at least 132 people and injuring around 700, with the brunt of the devastation falling on working-class and indigenous communities in cities like Pereira, Cali, Quibdó, Manizales, and Armenia. The country remains under a national red alert, exposing the chronic underinvestment in public infrastructure and disaster preparedness. Seven airports have ceased operations, and essential services—hospitals, roads, water systems, and communications—have been severely disrupted, as reported by Colombia’s Association of Capital Cities.
"The quake’s epicenter was reported in the municipality of San José del Palmar," the association said, underscoring the vulnerability of rural and marginalized populations.
At the same time, U.S. military intelligence continues to focus on foreign intervention, briefing officials on Iran’s strategic pivot from its nuclear program to the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials threaten costly consequences for any attempt to control the waterway, perpetuating cycles of militarism and instability. Talks between Iran and Oman remain stalled, reflecting the failures of U.S. foreign policy.
July also shattered climate records, marking the hottest month ever recorded in the United States, with an average temperature of 76.9 degrees Fahrenheit—3.3 degrees above the 20th-century average—according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The climate crisis, driven by corporate greed and political inaction, continues to endanger vulnerable communities at home and abroad.