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Balance of Power: Messy GOP primaries could boost Democrats in swing state races

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Balance of Power: Messy GOP primaries could boost Democrats in swing state races

Republicans are looking to take advantage of a difficult Senate election map for Democrats in November, but crowded primary races in top swing states could hurt the party’s attempts to capture key Senate seats, according to some experts. 

“Campaign lore would suggest that any ‘divisive primary’ is going to advantage the other party at the polls in the general,” said Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor of political science at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

In Nevada, which will have its Senate primaries June 11, and Michigan, which won’t see its primary elections until August, the Republican fields ended up being relatively large despite having clear frontrunners. 

The Senate seats are both occupied by Democrats, with Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., running for re-election. However, Michigan became more competitive by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., deciding to retire at the end of her term. 

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Divisive primaries in Nevada and Michigan could make general elections more difficult for frontrunners Sam Brown and Mike Rogers, should they receive their states’ nominations. (Getty Images)

Nevada’s Senate race is one of the few contests considered a “toss-up,” according to non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report. The Michigan election is labeled “Lean Democratic.” 

“Trump’s expected endorsement is causing the Senate GOP to hold its breath,” Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, former top spokesman to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and former chief of staff of the Senate Republican Conference, said of the primary in Nevada.   

“If he endorses [Jeff] Gunter over Brown and his popularity, it could very well give Sen. Rosen and Democrats the upper hand at winning here,” he explained, referencing the former Trump ambassador to Iceland who is financing his own run against frontrunner Ret. Army Capt. Sam Brown in the GOP primary. 

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Brown previously lost the Senate nod to Adam Laxalt. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

There are several contenders vying for the Republican Senate nomination in Nevada, the most prominent being Brown, Gunter and former Nevada State Rep. Jim Marchant. 

Rosen campaign spokesperson Johanna Warshaw told Fox News Digital in a statement, “While her extreme MAGA opponents like Sam Brown have been forced to spend the past year fighting to prove who is most loyal to Donald Trump and embracing a far-right agenda, Jacky Rosen is focused on winning the general election and sharing her record as one of the most bipartisan and effective senators who delivers for Nevadans.

“The messy MAGA Republican primary has been a stark contrast with Jacky’s record of working across party lines to lower costs for hardworking families and being an independent voice for Nevada.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Brown’s campaign for comment. 

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While some suggested the drama of the primary season could bleed into the general election, others pushed back. According to Nevada Republican strategist Jeremy Hughes, “Crowded primaries are commonplace in today’s politics. In fact, Gov. Lombardo had a primary in 2022 and was ultimately successful in the general.

“Republican voters will be united come November. Joe Biden, Alvin Bragg and the Democrats are making sure of that.” 

“I think that whether or not the GOP primaries in these states redound to the benefit of the Democrats is going to depend on several factors, including whether the Republican Party’s internal battles give the Democrats fodder that they can use against the nominee in the general election,” Neiheisel claimed. 

Rogers was endorsed by Trump.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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As for Michigan, former President Trump has already weighed in, endorsing former Rep. Mike Rogers for the Republican nomination. However, this hasn’t stopped wealthy businessman Sandy Pensler, who is endorsed by former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, from continuing his bid. Former Rep. Justin Amash is also running for the nomination. Another former representative, Peter Meijer, recently suspended his primary campaign. 

“The Trump endorsement of Rogers emerging as a consensus candidate after a complicated path to becoming the frontrunner is getting mixed reviews from both hardliners and establishment Republicans in the state,” Bonjean said. 

SENATE DEMS IN BATTLEGROUND RACES CAREFUL TO WEIGH IN ON TRUMP VERDICT

While Rogers is favored to remain the frontrunner and secure the nomination come August, Michigan Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe pointed out that “it only gives him three months to ramp up the general election campaign.”

“And if he has to continue to wage an actual primary battle against Amash and Pensler, he’s probably going to finish the primary with no money in the bank and have to replenish it,” he added. 

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Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is favored to take the Democratic nomination, while also facing a primary challenger in actor Hill Harper. But Slotkin has notably spent little time campaigning against him, mounting a general election-focused bid. 

Roe pointed to Slotkin’s fundraising prowess, predicting she will be “sitting on many millions of dollars” by the time the primary is over. 

Slotkin is favored to win the Democratic nomination. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

“That becomes a much more expensive race for Rogers and for the [National Republican Senatorial Committee] and the Senate Leadership Fund,” he added. 

As it stands, the Republican strategist thinks Pensler and Amash “are sand in Rogers’ gears in trying to build a campaign that can compete with someone like Slotkin.”

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NRSC expressed confidence in both Rogers and Brown in the November election.

“Mike Rogers and Sam Brown are both leading their primaries by large margins because their opponents are never Trumpers and former Democrats. We’re confident that they will win their respective primaries and make Michigan and Nevada extremely competitive in November,” said NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud.

In his own statement, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson Tommy Garcia said, “Senate Republicans’ roster of recruits is reeling from a series of reports uncovering their lies about their biographies, vulnerabilities tied to their finances and a lifetime of toxic statements and policy positions.

“Meanwhile, their primaries in states like Nevada and Michigan are erupting in chaos. The NRSC’s big bet to back a bunch of unvetted carpetbaggers is looking worse by the day.” 

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According to Neiheisel, the general election in both states is ultimately going to be determined by the candidates. 

“The particular candidates that emerge from these contests are likely going to stand out as the largest determinant of the eventual outcome,” he said. “Candidate quality still matters even in a polarized era of politics.”



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San Francisco, CA

The Store Cats of San Francisco

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The Store Cats of San Francisco









There is a specific kind of joy that only a store cat can deliver. You go in for a tallboy or a bag of cat litter (the irony is not lost on anyone) and you leave having made eye contact with a sphinx asleep on the register. It costs nothing. For a few seconds, the city is just a warm animal ignoring you, and that is enough.

In 2022, the designer and transit gadfly Chris Arvin did the civic work nobody asked for and everybody needed: Arvin mapped them. “San Francisco Store Cats,” stars next to the particularly friendly ones, a polite note reminding you not to wake the sleeping ones.

Photo from Chris Arvin’s Instagram.

Four years later, we wanted to see who was still on shift, and so did San Francisco. A single thread on r/sanfrancisco, started by a tourist hunting a bodega cat for their kid, turned into a sprawling, lovingly argued census of who is still working which counter. Arvin, the map’s own maker, showed up in the replies to admit it was overdue for a refresh. We took that as an assignment.

What follows is bigger than the original; the thread handed us dozens of cats with names and corners, so we tracked down addresses for the ones we could and sorted everyone by how sure we are. Most turned up in recent reports, this week’s thread especially, though we’re trusting those accounts rather than having staked out each counter. A few we are still taking on the 2022 map’s good word. One is gone, in a way that became, briefly, the whole city’s argument with itself. And the newest is a flower-market cat who survived a five-day catnapping the same week all of this blew up.

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San Francisco Shop Cats Map

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‘Sources: Chris Arvinu2019s 2022 u201CSan Francisco Store Catsu201D map, a May 2026 ‘ +
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On the color codes: Green (“reportedly around”) means the cat turned up in a recent account: this week’s thread, a recent review, or some other 2024-to-2026 sign. Cats are old, or wander, or get whisked off in a stranger’s Honda, so a green pin marks a recent mention, not a guarantee the cat will be there when you are. Amber means the cat was on Arvin’s 2022 map and didn’t resurface, so visit on faith. A single ember-red pin is for the one we lost.


Still on patrol, reportedly

Number Five at Grace Nursery, inside the San Francisco Flower Market, 901 16th St (Potrero Hill).

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Number Five is a round-faced gray cat who has supervised the wholesale flower market for three years, the fifth pet of florist Grace Su; the name nods to the Chinese tradition of birth-order nicknames, and, she has said, to Chanel No. 5. He patrols the vendor stalls like a floor manager who suspects everyone is slacking.

In May 2026 he was scooped off the floor in the middle of the pre-Mother’s Day rush and driven across the Bay Bridge by catnappers. His admirers found him five days later, perched on a forklift in an Emeryville warehouse, and the police brought him home. He came back a little skinny and a little jumpy, but he came back.


Dogg at George’s Market, 702 14th St (Duboce Triangle).

A senior gray tabby; Arvin’s writeup and George’s regulars both call her “she.” She’s getting on in years, so she’s out front less than she used to be, but she remains a sweetheart, and people in this week’s thread were still checking in on her. There’s a tribute to her on the storefront mural.


FuFu at S&S Grocery, 1461 Grant Ave (North Beach).

A white cat with blue eyes and a job, which is lying in wait near the door to ambush passing dogs. Reviews still mention him doing exactly this, so the post appears to be filled.


Keanu at O’Looney’s Market, 588 Haight St (Lower Haight).

A goofy orange cat who guards the front in the afternoons, then heads out on neighborhood walkabouts, so he’s hit or miss. The visiting family whose post kicked off this week’s thread came looking for him and missed him; the owner tried to track him down anyway. Arvin’s map listed him as “Kiano,” but the block calls him Keanu.

We noted another kitty at this location, per Yelp.

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Alex at S&A Liquor, 98 Sanchez St (Duboce Triangle).

A neighborhood favorite a half-block from Duboce Park; the kind of cat people post about just to say they love him.


Toasty & Meow Meow at Seven, 2345 Irving St (Outer Sunset).

Um this may be a couple of cats the writers of this actually saw. At least one of them. Seven is a home-goods store, not a corner store, and it still keeps a couple of very sweet cats. On Arvin’s map the pair was Toasty (who got a friendly star) and Meow Meow; the current cats may have rotated, but cats there are.


Lilly at Michaelis Wine & Spirits, 2198 Union St (Cow Hollow).

The cat of a wine and spirits shop open since 1986, which is a deeply correct place for a cat to be. She looks like she has a great time there.


Mojito at California & Lyon Market, 3100 California St (Presidio Heights).

A friendly cutie who hops onto the counter for pets, a short walk from the Presidio and the Palace of Fine Arts.


Whiskey & Tequila at New Star-Ell Liquor, 501 Divisadero St (NoPa). Whiskey is gray, Tequila is orange.

Reportedly, Tequila was briefly catnapped and came home. Neither is out front all the time, so you take your chances.


Buffy at Buffalo Whole Food & Grain, 598 Castro St (Castro).

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Given how young Buffy is, this could be her or just a random kitty in the store that day. From Google reviews.

A playful kitten, about six months old, brand new to the beat.


Not pictured but still on patrol, reportedly:

  • Shadow at Randa’s Market, 3131 16th St (Mission). Reported in this week’s thread as Randa’s cat now, in the months after KitKat. Same counter, same corner.
  • Cinnamon at Stewart’s Market, 2498 Sutter St (Lower Pacific Heights). A corner-grocery cat at Sutter and Broderick.
  • Cookie at Oak Fair Market, 999 Oak St (Lower Haight). A tabby holding the counter on the Alamo Square edge; one thread regular went and said hi mid-conversation, then reported back.
  • Tiger & Bella at Hing Fung Trading Co., 717 Vallejo St (Chinatown). Tiger is a very friendly orange cat; Bella is around too, if you’re lucky. A herb-and-dry-goods shop near Stockton.
  • The Amro Market cat at 2901 Van Ness Ave (Marina). A very friendly cat at the corner of Van Ness and Chestnut.

From the 2022 map

These were on Arvin’s map and didn’t come up in this week’s thread, so we can’t promise they’re still on shift. Worth a look, but go in hopeful rather than certain.

Chucky and unnamed kitty at Flora Grubb Gardens, 3rd & Jerrold (Bayview).

The resident cat at the city’s prettiest plant nursery, which means Chucky lives somewhere that looks like a magazine spread and almost certainly does not appreciate it. On their Instagram, we’ve noticed two kitties. One is orange.


Boots at Hey Neighbor Café, 2 Burrows St (Portola).

A white-pawed cafe cat who was once pictured on the shop’s own website wearing his crown sideways, as a king does. We’ve seen mentions of shop dogs at Hey Neighbor nowadays. This Instagram post from 2022 says Boots had been traumatized.

Not pictured, but also from the 2022 map:

  • The Sun Sun Trading cat at 1226 Stockton St (Chinatown). A cat among the ginseng, dried seafood, and Chinese remedies of a Chinatown trading shop. No name on record.
  • Ruby at Amity Market, 3350 Taraval St (Parkside). White and button-nosed, way out where the avenues run quiet and the fog wins most arguments. A later addition to Arvin’s map.

In memoriam

KitKat at Randa’s Market, 3131 16th St (Mission).

The most famous of all of them, and the reason this map reads a little differently in 2026 than it did in 2022. KitKat was a tabby that Randa’s took in as a stray to keep the rodents down, and over six years he became the opposite of pest control: the reason people came in. Customers brought him toys, blankets, food. He was a “particularly friendly” star on Arvin’s map.

In October 2025, KitKat was killed by a Waymo outside the store. The neighborhood built a memorial at the door. For a couple of weeks he became the face of every feeling this city has been holding about robotaxis and tech and who gets a say in the streets, and then he became what he’d always been, which was a cat somebody loved. Randa’s Instagram bio still reads “Remember KitKat.” We do.

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More sightings worth chasing

The Reddit thread turned up more cats than we could pin to a name and a verified address. Treat these as leads, not promises: the corner store at Central and Hayes, where someone once met a cat named Coco; Dad & Son Market at Fillmore and Lombard, said to keep two; a Chinese dry-goods store at Broadway and Stockton with three young cats; Unimart at 8th and Howard, where a mother and two kittens hang around; Larkin Corner Market, whose cat is shy about office hours; Key Food at Fillmore and Oak, which has both a cat and a dog named Major; and a maybe-cat in a corner store at 22nd and Guerrero. And one that isn’t a store at all: Lamont, who holds court at Pop’s, the 1937 dive bar at 2800 24th Street. Not a bodega cat, but a beloved one.


Saul Sugarman is editor-in-chief and owner of The Bold Italic. He is proud stepmother to a senior kitty, Xena, who is warrior princess of San Francisco’s Forest Knolls neighborhood.

The Bold Italic is a not-for-profit media organization, and we publish first-person perspectives about San Francisco and the Bay Area. We operate under a fiscal sponsorship of a 501(c)(3).

You can become a paid subscriber. Or donate. Or learn more about us.





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Denver, CO

Denver weather: Warmer weather for Memorial Day with an isolated storm

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Denver weather: Warmer weather for Memorial Day with an isolated storm


​​​​​​DENVER (KDVR) — Temperatures continue to warm for the Sunday with the Denver weather forecast featuring temperatures returning to the 80s for a few days.

Memorial Day will be warm and pleasant with a slight chance for a shower or storm. Rain chances will be slightly higher in the high country, but don’t let that ruin your plans.

Denver weather tonight: Mostly clear

Quiet conditions overnight Saturday.

Tranquil weather will be the theme overnight Saturday. Skies across the area will be mostly clear and temperatures will be a touch milder than normal with lows around Denver only falling into the upper 40s to low 50s.

Denver weather tomorrow: Warmer with increasing clouds

Warmer Sunday.

Sunday starts with sunny skies, but clouds will increase through the afternoon. Temperatures will be the warmest they’ve been in a little bit with highs expected to reach the middle 80s in the city. A few pop-up showers or storms will be possible in the afternoon, but any rain should be brief, and severe weather is not expected.

Looking ahead: Daily rain chances next week

Memorial Day will again be in the middle 80s and likely the warmest day of the week. There will be another opportunity for some afternoon showers or storms, but the highest likelihood will remain in the high country. Dry weather will return overnight Monday.

Daily chances for rain to end May.

The final week of May features daily opportunities for showers and storms. The mid-week sees the best chance for scattered showers and storms, particularly in the high country where it’s needed the most. Temperatures will hold steady in the upper 70s, slightly above normal.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks vet could be difference maker for defense

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Seattle Seahawks vet could be difference maker for defense


After a promising start to his Seattle Seahawks career, injuries plagued veteran edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu for two seasons.

Bump has his eye on 2 players as Seattle Seahawks begin OTAs

Nwosu played just six games apiece during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. But this past season, the Seahawks finally got a healthy version of the USC product again.

The 29-year-old Nwosu returned from offseason knee surgery in Week 2 and didn’t miss a game the rest of the way through their run to a Super Bowl title. He finished the regular season with seven sacks, seven tackles for loss and 46 total pressures in 16 games. And in the Super Bowl, he got to cap his bounce-back year with a moment he’ll never forget, returning a interception 45 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on Seattle’s 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots.

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Nwosu’s year was a positive sign after two lost seasons, but former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus is hoping to see even more from the veteran in 2026.

“With the departure of Boye Mafe (in free agency), you need a guy like Uchenna Nwosu just to get back to who he is,” Bumpus said Friday during his Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “He didn’t have a bad season at all, not at all. But I didn’t feel the impact that we’re used to having with Uchenna Nwosu. So I’m looking at Uchenna and just that defensive line, that box in general. If you can get a veteran like Uchenna and Dante (Fowler Jr.) to step it up one more notch and hold things down, I like where this defense is going to go.”

What Bumpus is hoping to see from Nwosu is something closer to his breakout first year with Seattle in 2022. In 17 games that season, Nwosu produced 12 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His 61 pressures were also the 16th most of any defender league-wide, per Pro Football Focus.

“He has it in him,” Bumpus said. “… That’s the guy that we need. He’s 29 years old, he’s still young. I think he’s capable. If he has a good offseason (and) comes back healthy, I think Uchenna is primed for a good year. “

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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More on the Seattle Seahawks

• NFL commish pushes back on reports about Seahawks sale
• Ranking second-year Seahawks by potential ’26 impact
• Brock: Seattle Seahawks may host Cowboys in joint practice



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