Midwest
Dearborn’s anti-Biden activists won’t rubber-stamp president’s Harris endorsement
Activists in Dearborn, Michigan, who led the resistance against President Biden in response to his support for Israel won’t so easily come back to the Democratic Party now that he has dropped out of the race.
“There is not an automatic endorsement by the community of Harris just because Biden stepped down,” Samraa Luqman, who has served as co-chair for the Abandon Biden campaign, said of her personal feelings on the state of the race. “She was part of the Biden administration, so she’s going to be associated with all of his policies and all of his rhetoric. She might come with a $100 million war chest, but she comes with his baggage as well.”
Luqman’s comments come after Biden announced on social media Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 race, a decision that was made after weeks of increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to pass the torch amid fears over his physical and mental ability to continue the campaign.
Such a decision was cause for celebration in Dearborn, Luqman said, noting that she believes Biden’s unpopularity among members of her community played a role in the president’s decision.
DEARBORN ‘UNCOMMITTEDS’ PLAN TO MAKE ‘EXAMPLE’ OF BIDEN, TURN PARTY AGAINST JEWISH STATE
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with members of the press before boarding Air Force Two at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, May 28, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit that has the highest per capita Muslim population in the country, became the center of the resistance to Biden during Michigan’s primary in March, with more than 100,000 voters marking “uncommitted” on their ballots instead of supporting the president’s re-election bid. The vast majority of those who turned on Biden in March were longtime Democrats who had voted for the president in 2020, but his handling of the conflict in Gaza had caused many in Dearborn to reach their breaking point.
“This is absolutely phenomenal and historical,” Luqman said of Biden’s decision to drop out. “And I want it to absolutely be known and give credit where credit is due. It is not due to the fact that Biden had a bad performance in the debate… it is due to his bad polling numbers.”
Biden’s outlook in the polls had continued to deteriorate over July, with most national polls showing the president trailing former President Trump. Worse for Biden, most polls also showed him behind in almost every important swing state, including Michigan.
A new Detroit Free Press poll released just hours before Biden announced his decision showed the president trailing Trump by seven points in the crucial swing state of Michigan, a devastating deficit in an almost must-win state for Democrats.
Luqman credits her community for contributing to that deficit, making the path to victory for Biden too difficult to remain in the race.
‘DEATH TO AMERICA,’ ‘DEATH TO ISRAEL’ CHANTS POUR OUT OF MUSLIM PROTESTERS IN MICHIGAN ON LAST DAY OF RAMADAN
But Luqman made clear that people in the community won’t easily run back to Democrats, with many planning to support a third-party candidate or even Trump in November instead of Biden’s handpicked successor, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“You’re hearing a lot of people who are so upset and so burned by Biden, that there is a rejection of the Democratic Party altogether, who are still saying, even if it were Harris, we will not vote for the Democratic nominee,” Luqman said, adding that some members of the community may for vote Green Party candidate Jill Stein or “go with a Republican out of spite.”
A Detroit Free Press poll released just hours before Biden announced his decision showed the president trailing Trump by seven points in the crucial swing state of Michigan. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
“We saw this kind of shift… right after the Iraq War 20 years ago, where the entire Arab Muslim community shifted to the Democratic Party and stayed that way for two decades now,” Luqman added. “It looks like that pendulum is swinging again toward the Republican side now.”
Abed Ayoub, the national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, echoed a similar sentiment, saying that for the Muslim community in Dearborn and elsewhere, Biden’s decision to step down was a welcome “relief.”
Nevertheless, Ayoub made clear that the issue just wasn’t with “Biden himself,” but the administration’s policy on the Middle East and around the globe.
BIDEN CAMPAIGN: WE DON’T WANT THE VOTES OF ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ PROTESTERS IN MICHIGAN
“These are serious issues for the Arab community and how different is Harris going to be on that? What can she bring to the tale that’s different?” Ayoub asked.
Ayoub made clear that many in the community will listen to what Harris has to say but that earning their support will not be automatic, noting that both the Stein and Trump campaigns have done good outreach to local voters.
President Biden speaks at a campaign event at Pullman Yards on March 9, 2024, in Atlanta. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
“It opens the door wide open for Democrats to win back many of the ones that Biden has lost,” Ayoub said, while noting that many will still support Stein or even Trump.
“His outreach now is much better, much different than it was in 2016 and 2020,” Ayoub said of Trump.
Steven Stalinsky, the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute, told Fox News Digital that while it is unlikely many of the activists who turned on Biden will back Harris, it is also unlikely the Dearborn and Muslim community will see a major candidate that fits the profile they are demanding.
“I think most of the Arab and Muslim leadership and Islamist activists in Dearborn and in Michigan have constantly reiterated that Harris is no better than Biden and that they see no difference between them. Early comments indicate that she would have to be more anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian, including in her VP pick, for them to reconsider their stance,” Stalinsky said. “In their celebrations of Biden’s announcement over the past day, they take credit for his retirement. They also do not realize that average Americans are much more pro-Israel than their own vocal groups of supporters in a handful of states are. Furthermore, they mistakenly believe that everyone who did not vote for Biden in the primary was rejecting him because he was pro-Israel.”
Steven Stalinsky, the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute, told Fox News Digital that it is unlikely many of the activists who turned on Biden will back Harris. (Reuters/Hannah Beier)
Meanwhile, frustration with the Democratic Party’s process for replacing Biden on the ticket has already started for many in the Muslim community, Ayoub noted, arguing that allowing the president to handpick his replacement is “not democratic.”
“You knew Biden was sick, he went through a whole primary process, and then told him to step aside and put your own candidate,” Ayoub said. “There’s anger there that this is happening… and I think it’s important to point out that this is not a great candidate. This is not a democratically elected nominee for the Democratic Party.”
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Missouri
Missouri auditor to probe St. Louis arts funder after whistleblower complaint
Missouri state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has launched a review of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis’ finances.
The audit is in response to complaints from a whistleblower who alerted the office to possible misuse of funds, Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. The auditor’s office then reviewed documents provided by RAC during an initial investigation before launching a full audit.
“We have verified the veracity of the whistleblower complaint, and have seen with our own eyes at this point records that give us enough concern that we want to proceed with an audit,” Fitzpatrick said.
The auditor’s report could be released late this year or in early 2027, he added. It would then be up to state and local authorities to follow up on any potential misconduct.
In an unsigned statement, RAC said it receives an annual audit from a firm selected by the offices of the St. Louis mayor and St. Louis County executive and that it shares the results publicly. “[We] are confident the findings from the state will mirror the success we have come to expect at the local level,” the statement says.
“We welcome the opportunity to provide documentation and context regarding our financial practices and grantmaking processes. As always, RAC will continue to focus on serving the St. Louis region’s arts and cultural community and maintaining the public’s trust,” the statement adds.
Potential issues identified in the state auditor’s initial investigation include the possibilities that RAC’s administrative expenses exceed what is allowed by statute, that leaders issued bonuses disallowed by the state constitution and that large grants were issued with no follow-up to ensure the money was used properly.
Fitzpatrick said his actions are not related to the commission’s choice of grant recipients.
Changes to the grant process
RAC distributes annual grants to arts organizations in St. Louis and St. Louis County. It is funded by a tax on hotel and motel stays. The commission distributed $3.7 million last year.
The organization suspended grant applications for fiscal 2026 due to “continuing financial volatility” and a new five-year plan, according to a note on its website. It will use applications received in 2025 as a guide for its 2026 grants.
Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis
“This pause allows RAC to support eligible and high-scoring 2025 grantees and applicants while navigating financial challenges and planning for a stronger, more sustainable grant program in the future,” the note says.
RAC publishes a list of its annual grants online.
Vanessa Cooksey became president and CEO of the organization in 2020 after it spent a year without a permanent leader. Previous chief Felicia Shaw had stepped down in November 2019. Neither Shaw nor RAC provided a public explanation for Shaw’s departure.
Some smaller organizations had complained that during Shaw’s tenure they stopped receiving annual grants.
The Regional Arts Commission had a $13.4 million budget in 2024, according to tax documents. Cooksey received a $196,253 salary and $28,652 in additional compensation.
Continuing a process begun by Shaw, Cooksey oversaw changes to grant applications that she said were meant to simplify the process – including removing a longstanding split between its funding mechanisms for large and small organizations.
A key arts funder after the coronavirus pandemic
In November 2022, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to direct $10.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to RAC. A measure that would have allocated another $1.6 million failed to pass the St. Louis County Council, so RAC was statutorily required to distribute ARPA funds only to groups based in St. Louis.
RAC has distributed $9.5 million of the ARPA money so far, funding 195 individual artists and 75 organizations.
Arts leaders said in 2022 that the sector supports more than 19,000 jobs and generates nearly $600 million a year – more than all local sports franchises combined.
The federal money was a boon to St. Louis artists and arts organizations following a steep decrease in funding at the height of the coronavirus pandemic due to decreased tourism in the region.
Tax revenues earmarked for RAC decreased from $9.5 million in fiscal 2019 to $2.8 million the next year. Tax revenue directed to RAC have increased but still lag behind the pre-pandemic total. The commission reported $7.5 million in tax revenue received in fiscal 2024.
RAC presented a new five-year plan with much fanfare in March 2020 but had little initial opportunity to implement it. Not long after, St. Louis officials put limits on public gatherings to tamp down spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Commission officials released a new five-year strategic roadmap in December 2025.
Nebraska
4.1-magnitude earthquake hits south-central Nebraska
People across Nebraska and Kansas reported feeling an earthquake Sunday afternoon.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter Scale struck around 1 p.m. about 3 miles east of the Webster County village of Cowles, which is in south-central Nebraska near the Kansas border.
A quake of that magnitude is considered “light” and not likely to cause damage.
But the USGS received dozens of reports from people who said they felt the quake, some as far away as Omaha and Manhattan, Kansas. Numerous people took to social media to report feeling the quake.
Two aftershocks of 2.6 magnitude later occurred near the original quake site, one about 90 minutes after the initial quake and one later Sunday night.
Earthquakes are relatively rare in Nebraska, but the state does usually record one or two minor ones per year. The last time Nebraska recorded a quake of a magnitude 4 or above was in December 2023, also in Webster County.
North Dakota
The Democratic Spirit: Reflections on North Dakota History and the Declaration of Independence at 250 – America250
A state and national public forum comprising a lecture, and then a question-answer session. Kwame Anthony Appiah’s lecture commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and explore its enduring significance in American life. Appiah’s scholarship on ethics, identity, and cosmopolitanism offers a unique lens for examining democratic ideals in a diverse society. By connecting these themes to North Dakota’s historical narrative, the forum fosters civic engagement, intellectual discourse, and cultural understanding within our community.
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