Top Items:
Eric Garcia / The Independent:
Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault claim sends Democrats fleeing his campaign — Platner's exit kicks off a mad dash to find a candidate to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins — Maine oysterman Graham Platner has dropped his bid to unseat Republican …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Hill, ABC News, The Independent, Mediaite, The Maine Wire, Centralmaine.com, CBS News, Chicago Sun Times, The Free Press, Scripps News, Advocate, Bangor Daily News, The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, NBC News, New York Times, The Portland Press Herald, Deseret News, The Guardian and New York Sun
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Lauren McGaughy / New York Times:
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.
Discussion:
The Daily Wire and The Federalist
Washington Post:
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 …
Discussion:
CNBC, Mediaite, Yellowhammer News, New York Times, The Maine Wire, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Newsweek, twitchy.com, The Daily Caller, Politico and CNN, more at Mediagazer »
Politico:
Inside the tense final hours of Graham Platner's campaign — Graham Platner went down swinging — even as some of his political confidants urged him not to. — Several of the embattled Maine Democrat's closest advisers pleaded with him Wednesday to strike a “conciliatory” …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Deadline
Sophia Cai / Politico:
Collins' allies think Platner's exit makes her reelection bid tougher — Republicans may be publicly using Graham Platner's exit from Maine's Senate race to ratchet up their attacks on Democrats, but behind the scenes, his withdrawal is hardly being viewed as good news for Sen. Susan Collins' reelection campaign.
Discussion:
Townhall, Raw Story, The Guardian and New Jersey Globe
Tim Balk / New York Times:
Graham Platner Suspended His Campaign. Here's What's Next for Democrats.
Discussion:
Politico, The Portland Press Herald, NBC News, The Hill, New York Sun, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Washington Times and NOTUS
Calen Razor / Politico:
Collins loses her foil in Platner
Sahil Kapur / NBC News:
Graham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace him
Graham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace him
Discussion:
Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Politico, Straight Arrow, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Roll Call, New Republic, New York Times, MS NOW, Washington Monthly, Forbes, UPI, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Townhall, The Downballot, NOTUS, Washington Examiner, The Portland Press Herald, Washington Times, The Hill, CBS News, Scripps News and Semafor
Myah Ward / Politico:
Trump on Platner: 'It's really a question of whether you believe the woman'
Trump on Platner: 'It's really a question of whether you believe the woman'
Discussion:
The Hill, Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, WBUR, HuffPost, One America News Network, TMZ.com, NewsMax.com, MS NOW, Raw Story, Bloomberg and CBS News
Emily Kennard / NOTUS:
Graham Platner's Collapse Is a ‘Reckoning’ for Political Vetting
Graham Platner's Collapse Is a ‘Reckoning’ for Political Vetting
Discussion:
Washington Post, USA Today, The Independent and Associated Press
New York Times:
‘A Slow-Rolling Disaster’: Inside the Implosion of the Platner Campaign
‘A Slow-Rolling Disaster’: Inside the Implosion of the Platner Campaign
Discussion:
Politico, The Guardian, twitchy.com, The Maine Wire, The Hill, Washington Examiner and Washington Post
Miranda Devine / New York Post:
Slimy Dems — the party of Me Too — show their true colors in Graham Platner scandal
Slimy Dems — the party of Me Too — show their true colors in Graham Platner scandal
Discussion:
Townhall and Bangor Daily News
Beth Reinhard / New York Times:
Who is Troy Jackson, a Democrat running for Senate in Maine?
Who is Troy Jackson, a Democrat running for Senate in Maine?
Discussion:
Liberal Currents, RedState and NPR
Zeeshan Aleem / MS NOW:
The foreseeability of Graham Platner's downfall
The foreseeability of Graham Platner's downfall
Discussion:
New Republic and Washington Examiner
New York Times:
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.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet
Discussion:
ABC News, Bloomberg, New York Post, Forbes, NOTUS, UPI, NBC News, Raw Story, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, HuffPost, Los Angeles Times, The Gateway Pundit, Scripps News, Associated Press, Fox News and NewsMax.com
Mallory Wilson / The Hill:
Trump returning to US on old Air Force One amid Iran threats
Trump returning to US on old Air Force One amid Iran threats
Discussion:
Mediaite, Raw Story, Military.com, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner and Al Jazeera
Adrian Carrasquillo / The Bulwark:
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.
Discussion:
Houston Public Media, Raw Story, The Hill, One America News Network, The Texas Tribune and YouTube
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Edgar Sandoval / New York Times:
Family of Man Fatally Shot by ICE Agent Calls for Independent Inquiry — The man killed, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, was mourned by his sons as a father, husband and business owner. Details of the encounter remain unclear. — The son of a man from Mexico who was killed Tuesday …
Discussion:
Associated Press, The Texas Tribune, ABC News, Raw Story, twitchy.com, Houston Public Media, The Hill, Al Jazeera, Slate, Axios, Truthout, PBS NewsHour, Scripps News, The Daily Caller, Newsweek, UPI and NBC News
Michael Kunzelman / Associated Press:
Former Olympian pleads not guilty in Reflecting Pool damage case after Trump alleged vandalism — A former Olympic canoe racer pleaded not guilty on Thursday to deliberately damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a politically charged case that his defense attorneys …
Discussion:
Reuters and New York Magazine
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Aleena Fayaz / CNN:
Three more people charged with damaging Reflecting Pool after Trump's multimillion-dollar restoration — Three more people have been criminally charged with destruction of property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. — Officers say they detained Cameron Thiers …
Discussion:
TMZ.com
Politico:
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.
Discussion:
New York Times, Reuters, CNBC, Politico, Drezner's World, HuffPost, CBS News, The Guardian, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Deseret News, The Hill, Axios and Straight Arrow
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Asawin Suebsaeng / Zeteo:
💣 Iran Humiliates Trump Again as His Imperial Bloodlust Surges — After exchanging strikes with Tehran, and after two wild NATO days in Turkey, the president flew home. In Maine, Graham Platner bowed to massive pressure and suspended his Democratic Senate campaign. — ∙ Paid
Discussion:
Raw Story, Politico, Staff Stories and CNBC
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Associated Press:
New attacks raise questions about what comes next in the Iran war
Discussion:
Vox, Axios, The Hill, CNBC, Washington Examiner, HuffPost, Associated Press, New York Sun, Bloomberg, Breitbart, Agence France-Presse, UPI, Jewish Insider, The Gateway Pundit, American Prospect, Politico, TWZ, Military.com, The Intercept, The Daily Signal, Washington Times, HotAir, Task & Purpose, NOTUS, Los Angeles Times, New York Post and Al Jazeera
Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Iran, Not Trump, Is in Control of This War
Iran, Not Trump, Is in Control of This War
Discussion:
New York Times, The Hill, Washington Times, ABC News, Telegraph, Commentary Magazine, Reuters, HotAir, El País, The Daily Wire, Raw Story, Roll Call, Mediaite, New York Magazine, Truthout, New Republic, Agence France-Presse, The Independent, Human Events, Mother Jones, MPR News, One America News Network, Bloomberg, NPR, Straight Arrow, Washington Examiner and UPI
Max Rego / The Hill:
Trump says he'll ask Supreme Court to rehear birthright citizenship case — President Trump said Wednesday he will ask the Supreme Court to rehear a case on the legality of his executive order restricting birthright citizenship, after the high court struck down the policy last week.
Discussion:
Fox News, NewsMax.com, Al Jazeera, Raw Story, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Law & Crime, more at Mediagazer »
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Rebecca Szlechter / The Jewish Chronicle:
Mamdani's office accused of excluding Jews from map of NYC immigrant neighbourhoods — The map included ‘Little Palestine’ and ‘Little Egypt’, but not its Jewish, Irish and Italian enclaves — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani lights the Empire State Building in celebration of America 250 on July 04, 2026 (Getty Images)
Discussion:
RedState and New York Post
New York Times:
Can Trump's Arch Be So Tall? A Panel May Redefine a Law to Get to Yes. — The proposed 250-foot arch would violate a height limit on Washington structures under the traditional reading of the law. But the panel, now led by the president's allies, has other ideas.
Discussion:
Straight Arrow, Associated Press, Reuters, Raw Story and The Independent
Hailey Fuchs / Politico:
Why the House's Epstein investigation isn't going away — The House Oversight Committee's Jeffrey Epstein investigation will hit the one-year mark later this month, and the saga isn't ending anytime soon. — No matter which party ends up in control in the next Congress …
Discussion:
New York Times and Raw Story, more at Techmeme »
Politico:
Planned Parenthood to target GOP with $47 million midterm blitz — Planned Parenthood is pumping more than $47 million into the midterms as it looks to pick off Republicans who cut off funding to the abortion provider last year. — The near-record investment from Planned Parenthood Votes …
Discussion:
NewsMax.com
Washington Post:
Rubio tries to enlist other nations in antifa fight, but some allies recoil — The secretary of state plans to convene foreign ministers in Washington next week. The event has unsettled some U.S. and European officials. — Summary — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invited senior ministers …
Patrick Dempsey / Portland Press-Herald:
Why I'm not running for US Senate — No matter who you are, service begins with a simple question: How can I make someone else's life a little better? — 4 min readFont size + — Patrick Dempsey is an actor, producer, activist and Founder of The Dempsey Center in Maine …
Discussion:
Straight Arrow, Breitbart, New York Times, TMZ.com, NBC News, The Hill, Bangor Daily News, Variety, Raw Story, The Wrap, New York Post, Deadline and Scripps News
Nathaniel Weixel / The Hill:
Rising Obamacare premiums fuel Democrats' affordability attacks against GOP — Obamacare premiums are poised for a double-digit increase in 2027, putting more Americans on the hook for hundreds of dollars in additional costs per month and adding fuel to Democratic attacks over affordability ahead of the midterm elections.
Paul Waldman / Public Notice:
Trump's red-baiting won't work — This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — 📈 Subscribe to PN 📈 — With the midterm elections approaching, President Trump hit upon a message that could turn a potential blowout for Republicans into an unexpected win.
Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:
Bill Pulte Keeps Firing Career Intel Staff. Wait Until You See Some Of His Past Hires. — Trump's intelligence chief previously hired a once-convicted sex offender and a former JD Vance aide who got caught chronicling his drug abuse on Reddit. — WASHINGTON ― Bill Pulte …
Jordain Carney / Politico:
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 …
Discussion:
Straight Arrow, New York Times, HuffPost, Associated Press, American Greatness, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Breitbart, The Independent, Salon, One America News Network, The Hill, Truthout, Axios, ABC News, Deseret News, Blaze Media, UPI, Fox News, Washington Times, New York Post, Townhall, Scripps News, CNBC, Newsweek, Legal Insurrection, kentucky.gov, Washington Post, New Republic, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, MS NOW, NewsMax.com, Talking Points Memo and NOTUS
Paul Krugman:
The Pain in Spain is Mainly in Trump's Brain — This isn't about economics, it's about mental health — For all my interviews and more, subscribe on YouTube. — Transcript — Yesterday, Donald Trump ordered Scott Bessent, the Secretary of theTreasury, to cut off all trade with Spain.
Discussion:
HuffPost, Breitbart, The Independent, Bloomberg, ABC News, Raw Story, The Hill, TWZ, New York Post, Politico, Euronews, MS NOW, The Mahablog, One America News Network, Reuters, RedState, Fox News and BusinessDay
Matt Gertz / Media Matters for America:
Right-wing ghouls revive the Seth Rich conspiracy theory 10 years after his murder — It's 2026 and MAGA lickspittle Benny Johnson is hosting a discussion of whether Hillary Clinton had former Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich killed in 2016. — “This is why it's called …
Axios:
The hidden costs of low-tax states — America's state governments now run on two very different tax engines: income in many coastal and professional-class states, and consumption in much of the Sun Belt and low-tax-growth belt. — Why it matters: States are not just competing over tax rates.
