Top Items:
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
RELATED:
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
New York Times:
‘A Slow-Rolling Disaster’: Inside the Implosion of the Platner Campaign — Graham Platner's bid for the Senate inspired progressive Democrats. But the campaign, which he suspended Wednesday, was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal. — They told him that he was “the guy.”
Discussion:
The Guardian, Politico, twitchy.com, The Maine Wire, The Hill, Washington Examiner and Washington Post
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 …
Sahil Kapur / NBC News:
Graham Platner drops out of Senate race, allowing Maine Democrats to replace him — His decision comes within days of a key deadline, allowing Maine's Democratic Party to select a new candidate to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a critical contest for Senate control.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN, Politico, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Straight Arrow, Rolling Stone, Roll Call, The Guardian, New Republic, New York Times, Forbes, Washington Monthly, MS NOW, UPI, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Townhall, The Downballot, NOTUS, Washington Examiner, The Portland Press Herald, Washington Times, The Hill, CBS News, Scripps News and Semafor
Sophia Cai / Politico:
Collins' allies think Platner's exit makes her reelection bid tougher
Discussion:
Townhall, Raw Story, The Guardian, New Jersey Globe and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Eric Garcia / The Independent:
Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault claim sends Democrats fleeing his campaign
Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault claim sends Democrats fleeing his campaign
Discussion:
The Hill, ABC News, The Independent, Mediaite, Scripps News, CBS News, The Maine Wire, Centralmaine.com, Chicago Sun Times, The Free Press, Advocate, Bangor Daily News, The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News, NBC News, New York Times, The Portland Press Herald, Wall Street Journal, Deseret News, The Guardian, New York Sun and Bloomberg
Calen Razor / Politico:
Collins loses her foil in Platner
Tim Balk / New York Times:
Graham Platner Suspended His Campaign. Here's What's Next for Democrats.
Graham Platner Suspended His Campaign. Here's What's Next for Democrats.
Discussion:
MS NOW, The Portland Press Herald, Politico, The Guardian, New York Sun, The Hill, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Washington Times, RedState and NOTUS
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, Bangor Daily News and MS NOW
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, New Republic, The Daily Wire, 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
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.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Forbes, Reuters, HuffPost, The Hill, RedState, Raw Story, The Independent, Washington Examiner and Bloomberg
RELATED:
Associated Press:
Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet
Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet
Discussion:
The Hill, ABC News, Bloomberg, New York Post, Forbes, UPI, NBC News, NOTUS, Mediaite, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, HuffPost, Los Angeles Times, The Gateway Pundit, Scripps News, Associated Press, Fox News and NewsMax.com
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, YouTube, Washington Post and New York Times
RELATED:
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
An American Life Cut Short — Whoever said “brevity is the soul of wit” never ran for Senate in Maine. Days after he was accused of sexual assault—and weeks after the first reports of his suspect behavior towards women raised worries that more serious allegations could emerge …
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:
The Hill, Reuters, NOTUS, CBS News, The Independent and New York Magazine
RELATED:
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
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:
Washington Examiner, New York Post and RedState
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, Townhall, NewsMax.com, Al Jazeera, Raw Story, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Mediaite and Law & Crime, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
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 …
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:
Associated Press, Straight Arrow, 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
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, Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters, Politico, Drezner's World, HuffPost, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, The Guardian, Associated Press, Deseret News, The Hill, Axios, Straight Arrow, Washington Post and New York Sun
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.
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.
Axios:
Behind the Curtain: Three big AI trends collide — Three AI trends are accelerating and colliding, forcing government, business and investors to rethink strategies in real time: — AI is getting bigger and better, both here and in China. — The U.S. government is scrambling …
Vittoria Elliott / Wired:
Federal Investigators Say Certain DOGE Records Were Deleted — A government report claims DOGE didn't access sensitive systems. It also says the agency deleted records that would show if they had. — On April 14, 2025, a federal IT staffer filed a whistleblower complaint with Congress alleging …
Steven Nelson / New York Post:
Palm Beach airport officially becomes Trump International as president's personal plane makes first landing — Palm Beach International Airport in Florida was formally rechristened President Donald J. Trump International Airport Thursday morning — with the commander in chief's own Boeing 757 making the first landing.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Palm Beach Post, CBS News, Fox News, NPR, RTÉ, TMZ.com and WJXT-TV
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 …
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.
Rebecca Crosby / Popular Information:
RFK Jr., Scientology, and the war on antidepressants — The Trump administration has engaged in a lengthy campaign to discourage the use of antidepressants. The effort has been led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has spent years spreading misinformation about these types of medications.
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
Bill Allison / Bloomberg:
ActBlue Pulls In $586 Million for Democrats as Midterms Approach — ActBlue raised $586 million for Democratic candidates and causes in the second quarter, a record amount that will enhance the party's fortunes as it prepares to confront Republicans in midterm elections that are projected to be the most expensive in US history.
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, The Hill, Variety, NBC News, Bangor Daily News, Raw Story, The Wrap, New York Post, Deadline and Scripps News
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:
Inside ‘CBS Evening News’ anchor Tony Dokoupil's bumpy 4th of July weekend: ‘amateur hour’ — Tony Dokoupil's “CBS Evening News” grappled with a fresh round of missteps over the Fourth of July weekend — the latest snafus that have dogged Bari Weiss' overhaul of the Tiffany Network's news programming.
Troy Matthews / MeidasTouch:
Marsha Blackburn Destroys a Bunch of Fortune Cookies to Prove her Anti-China Credentials — The Senate's sanest member strikes again — Key Points — Tennessee Republican Senator and Gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn released a bizarre campaign ad this week where she tried to show …
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Independent, Newsweek, The Daily Wire and Mediaite
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, Breitbart, CBS News, The Independent, Salon, The Hill, Truthout, Axios, One America News Network, ABC News, Blaze Media, Deseret News, UPI, Fox News, Washington Times, New York Post, Townhall, Scripps News, CNBC, Newsweek, NewsMax.com, Legal Insurrection, New Republic, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, MS NOW, Talking Points Memo, NOTUS, NBC News, WAFB-TV and kentucky.gov
