Graham Platner ends U.S. Senate campaign in Maine  —  The Democratic nominee left the race following an allegation of sexual assault.  Maine Democrats have until July 27 to choose a replacement candidate to take on Sen. Susan Collins (R).  —  Graham Platner, the populist political newcomer …

Security Precaution Led Trump to Use Old Air Force One in Leaving Turkey  —  The Secret Service is said to have asked that the president not use the Qatari-donated jet when he left Ankara.  The swap deepens questions about the retrofitting of the new plane.

He Lived Here for 35 Years.  Put Three Kids in College.  ICE Killed Him.  —  LORENZO SALGADO ARAUJO CAME TO THE UNITED STATES thirty-five years ago—a few years too late to benefit from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, popularly known as the “Reagan amnesty.”  He worked in construction.

Trump yelled at NATO leaders in public.  In private, it was a different story. … President Donald Trump spent his first hours at the NATO summit publicly bashing the alliance and reciting a list of grievances that had allies fearing the worst.  —  Then he went behind closed doors and changed his tune.

Iran, Not Trump, Is in Control of This War  —  The cease-fire was always just a Trump fantasy.  —  If Donald Trump ever had any control over the war he started with Iran, he's lost it.  The Iranians are now setting the terms of this conflict, and routinely humiliating the American president.

White House launches 25 Freedom Fuel gas stations in this region  —  The White House launched 25 Freedom Fuel gas stations, all selling fuel at $3.47 a gallon.  —  The White House announced the initiative on July 7 on X with a video of customers thanking President Donald Trump for lowering gas prices.

Trump denies disaster aid for 4 Democratic-led states  —  President Donald Trump denied disaster aid to four Democratic-led states in a move that is raising new questions about whether he's injecting political motivations into emergency management decisions.

Smithsonian head says White House report unfairly characterized US history museum  —  Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch said a White House report that accused the institution's National Museum of American History of “thinly veiled anti-Americanism” and “extreme political activism” was an unfair characterization of its work.

Dale Partridge Calls For The Return Of ‘European Christian Colonization Of African Nations’  —  For the last several weeks, far-right Christian nationalist pastor Dale Partridge has been preaching on the Curse of Ham, a controversial theological theory long used to justify slavery and racism.

Judge orders E. Jean Carroll be paid $5.8M after jury found Trump sexually abused and defamed her  —  E. Jean Carroll can be paid the $5.8 million that was set aside after a jury found three years ago that President Donald Trump sexually abused her in 1996 before he became president and defamed …

Kentucky governor asks Mitch McConnell for a health update  —  Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is publicly asking Sen. Mitch McConnell to provide an update on his health amid a secretive weekslong hospitalization.  Beshear sent a letter to McConnell Wednesday, saying that Kentuckians had grown …

Does a Sex Assault Claim Kill a Political Career?  It Depends.  —  The swift exit of Graham Platner from the Maine Senate race followed Eric Swalwell's similar exit from the California governor's race, but Republicans have taken a different tack.  —  Eric Swalwell.  Tony Gonzales.  Now, Graham Platner.

Meet Fox's Latest Favorite Primetime Guest: John Fetterman  —  Trump's fav cable network can't get enough of the Dem it once called a ‘giant walking vegetable.’ Plus, ‘60 Minutes’ is still getting Bari'd, and a new TDS is taking over the MAGA world.  —  ∙ Paid  —  Good evening, and welcome to this week's ‘Ragebait.’

Scoop: GOP megadonor Ken Griffin says he'd back Rubio over Vance in 2028  —  Republican megadonor Ken Griffin said at a private conference Wednesday that he'd support Secretary of State Marco Rubio over Vice President Vance in a 2028 GOP presidential primary, Axios has learned.