Does Democrats’ Future Lie With Moderates or Progressives?

Apple reported 12% revenue growth and a 47.9% gross-profit margin, both slightly above Wall Street expectations; the show deferred further analysis to the next morning. The larger business story was Marvell’s agreement to acquire optics maker Lumentum in an all-stock deal worth roughly $80 billion. Lumentum makes lasers and connectivity hardware for data centers, and the companies say the combination will create a leader in AI connectivity. NVIDIA invests in both companies, while Marvell’s technology could support hardware competing with NVIDIA. Investors reacted negatively: Marvell fell 13% and Lumentum 19%.

Oil prices declined on signs that the U.S. and Iran might be willing to pursue diplomacy, helping the Dow finish up 0.4%. The early stock-market gains mostly disappeared, however: the Nasdaq fell more than 1% and the S&P 500 lost 0.5%, with Intel and CoreWeave among the technology stocks extending the previous week’s losses. The technology selloff also affected expectations for Anthropic’s potential initial public offering. Institutional investors have reportedly been converging on a valuation of about $1.5 trillion to $1.6 trillion, below the roughly $2 trillion figures discussed in recent months; Anthropic has not set a valuation or share count.

WSJ reporter Scott Calvert explained that intelligent speed-assistance devices sit near a car’s dashboard, use GPS and a map database to identify the applicable speed limit, and prevent the vehicle from accelerating beyond it. States are pursuing the technology because speeding causes more than 10,000 U.S. deaths annually, while as many as 75% of drivers whose licenses are suspended continue driving. Virginia began a program in July and has installed about 100 devices. But lawyers reported a highway device displaying a 35-mph limit, forcing the driver to pull over, and another reading a lower cross-street limit at an intersection. The state says a fix is imminent.

Calvert said Virginia is one of eight states, plus Washington, D.C., that have passed laws authorizing speed-limiting technology for extreme speeders. The approach has received bipartisan support, and several additional states considered similar legislation during 2026 without passing it. The devices are meant to supplement license suspensions, which have failed to keep many convicted reckless drivers off the road. The Virginia problems show why implementation matters: a map error can slow a vehicle below the legal speed on its road and create a safety hazard, even though organizers say the program is otherwise progressing well.

The Michigan Senate primary between moderate Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed illustrated the Democratic Party’s internal fight; after losing, Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, while El-Sayed’s campaign said the endorsement helped produce its biggest fundraising day, $2.4 million. WSJ reporter Sabrina Rodriguez said Maine is a key test because the state voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, yet progressive Troy Jackson is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins. Establishment Democrats argue a traditional moderate might compete better. Rodriguez said Democrats may retake the House and could flip the Senate, but their brand has not recovered, leaving a dispute over their message ahead of 2028.

Rodriguez said no single contest will settle the moderate-versus-progressive question, but Texas could offer an important signal if Democrat James Tallarico defeats Ken Paxton and becomes the first Democrat in more than 30 years to flip a statewide race there. Tallarico once called himself progressive but now rejects the label, describing politics as “top-bottom” rather than left-right and framing the conflict as everyone versus the billionaire class. Separately, President Trump’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial focused heavily on restoring the Reflecting Pool, fountains, statues, White House grounds and a new ballroom, while calling Democrats radicals, citing Venezuela and Greenland, and promising $5,000 checks to every adult if Republicans retain Congress.

Williams College lists annual costs near $100,000, but students pay about $15,000 on average—less than the $23,000 in-state tuition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Reporter Terell Wright said roughly half of Williams students receive aid, and families earning under $200,000 receive full tuition. Elite liberal-arts colleges are publicizing these packages as they compete for applicants amid fewer 18-year-olds and growing doubts about college’s value. Their large endowments let them subsidize competitive students, while families able to pay the full price help fund the aid for lower-income students.