Top Items:
Holly Otterbein / Axios:
Scoop: Platner privately told staff he'll formally exit Senate race Monday — Graham Platner privately told staff that he is planning to officially file paperwork to end his Senate campaign on Monday — the drop-dead deadline for him to exit the race.
Discussion:
NOTUS, Fox News, Politico, The Portland Press Herald, RedState, Talking Points Memo, MS NOW, Mother Jones, Townhall, JONATHAN TURLEY, Truthout, Washington Monthly, Election Law Blog, The Guardian, WNYW-TV, One America News Network, Legal Insurrection, The American Conservative, The Downballot, CNN, CBS News, Wall Street Journal and Bangor Daily News
RELATED:
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 Hill, The Guardian, Wall Street Journal, MS NOW, Washington Examiner, NOTUS, Centralmaine.com, The Maine Wire, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Scripps News, CBS News, Politico, Fox News, twitchy.com, TMZ.com, Bloomberg, The Independent, WBUR, Semafor, Washington Post, New Republic and Deseret News, 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” …
C.J. Robinson / New York Times:
Replacing a Senate Nominee Is Rare. Has It Ever Worked?
Replacing a Senate Nominee Is Rare. Has It Ever Worked?
Discussion:
Straight Arrow, Los Angeles Times and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
Texas ICE Killing Darkens: Rep Says Witnesses Pressured to Self-Deport — After a federal agent killed an undocumented Mexican man in his van during a traffic stop in Houston on Tuesday, the government rushed to follow a familiar template. Just as it has after other shootings …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller and The Bulwark
Will Bunch / The Philadelphia Inquirer:
ICE killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. They want you to be apathetic. Don't be. — Lorenzo Salgado Araujo woke up at 5 a.m. Tuesday and started his day like almost every other one for the last 35 years since he came to Houston from Mexico and built his own American Dream brick by brick …
Discussion:
MS NOW, Houston Public Media, The Hill, Breitbart, Staff Stories, New York Times, Reuters, CNN, Al Jazeera, Axios and Civil Discourse …
RELATED:
José Olivares / The Guardian:
‘New terrifying levels’: 10 people fatally shot by immigration officials in Trump's second term — As Trump's immigration crackdown continues, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's death marks another high-profile killing by ICE officers — Early on Tuesday morning, 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo took …
Discussion:
Truthout, Associated Press, New Republic, Washington Post, The Contrarian, Mercury News, Houston Public Media, Straight Arrow, Scripps News and Raw Story
David Nir / The Downballot:
The Downballot releases presidential results for every new House district, sponsored by Grassroots Analytics — The Downballot is pleased to present our calculations of the results of the 2024 presidential election for every congressional district that will be used in the 2026 midterms …
Mallory Wilson / The Hill:
White House says Trump's Air Force One switch was a ‘misdirection’ — The White House on Thursday defended the new retrofitted Air Force One as safe and secure after reports emerged indicating President Trump switched to the older model to leave Turkey out of an abundance of caution.
Discussion:
New York Post, New York Magazine, Washington Times, Reuters, NBC News, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, HuffPost, Associated Press, Fox News, NewsMax.com, Mediaite and Bloomberg
RELATED:
New York Times:
Security Precaution Led Trump to Use Old Air Force One in Leaving Turkey
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, ABC News, CBS News, Straight Arrow, New Republic, Wonkette, TMZ.com, Forbes, The Hill, NewsMax.com, Mediaite, RedState, Associated Press, HuffPost, abc7NY, The Independent, Los Angeles Times and New York Post
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 …
Discussion:
NextDraft, Staff Stories, NewsMax.com and Raw Story
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:
Raw Story, The Hill, NBC4 Washington, CNBC, Al Jazeera, New Republic, Forbes, Washingtonian, NPR, KFTC-TV, Washington Post, The Independent, NOTUS, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Fox News, CBS News, ABC News, Mediaite 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 charged with damaging Reflecting Pool after Trump's multimillion-dollar restoration
Discussion:
UPI, TMZ.com and New York Times
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:
Fox News, New York Sun, NewsMax.com, Blaze Media and Jewish Telegraphic Agency
RELATED:
Ken Dilanian / MS NOW:
Dem lawmakers want Kash Patel to answer for his spending — but this time they're not alone — A powerful Republican who has publicly defended the FBI director is now demanding answers on his BMW purchases and his use of the bureau jet. — FBI Director Kash Patel has been demanding special perks …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Politico, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, The Daily Wire, Raw Story, The Independent and New Republic
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 …
Discussion:
Washington Post and Wonkette
Elena Schneider / NOTUS:
A New Poll Shows a Tight Fight for Platner Replacements — A poll of potential replacements for Graham Platner, who dropped out of the Maine Senate race on Wednesday, found a trio of former gubernatorial candidates in tight head-to-head battles against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Discussion:
NBC News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Townhall, Bangor Daily News, New York Times, The Maine Wire and Politico
RELATED:
Alec Hernandez / Politico:
Jordan Wood joins crowded Maine Senate race
Jordan Wood joins crowded Maine Senate race
Discussion:
Advocate, WBUR, Bangor Daily News, LGBTQ Nation and New York Times
New Republic:
A Danish Journo's Viral Takedown of Trump Caps Off Epic NATO Meltdown — At the NATO summit on Wednesday, Donald Trump lashed out wildly at, well, everyone in sight. He threatened more war with Iran. He angrily vowed to cut off all trade with Spain. He hinted again at stealing Greenland.
Julie DiCaro / Losing My Perspicacity:
We have an even bigger problem than Graham Platner — The men who defended Platner against all comers dominate left-wing media … My friends, I am tired. — I really don't want to write, yet again, about Graham Platner and all the ways he's revealed himself to be problematic …
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Ace of Spades HQ, Megyn Kelly, Centralmaine.com, New Republic, New York Times and NBC News
RELATED:
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.
Ryan Mancini / The Hill:
Jeb Bush raises alarm over Iranian drones in Cuba — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Wednesday raised the alarm over Iranian drones believed to be in Cuba. — “Iran has been a consistent threat to the united security interests of our country, certainly of Israel,” …
Discussion:
New York Post, Fox News, RedState, NBC 6 South Florida and WPLG-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 …
Ashleigh Fields / The Hill:
Massie: Might as well call ObamaCare ‘Trumpcare’ — Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie (R) on Wednesday said ObamaCare might as well be renamed “Trumpcare” as premiums increase and Republicans haven't moved to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). — “Might as well call it Trumpcare now.
Discussion:
Fox News
RELATED:
Nathaniel Weixel / The Hill:
Rising Obamacare premiums fuel Democrats' affordability attacks against GOP
Rising Obamacare premiums fuel Democrats' affordability attacks against GOP
Discussion:
Cardinal News, CBS News, USA Today, The Daily Caller, KFF Health News, Alaska Story, Bloomberg, Associated Press and Wall Street Journal
Sarah Nassauer / Wall Street Journal:
He Earns $33 an Hour as a Costco Cashier. Now He's a Millionaire. — Long-tenured workers like cashier Tony Barzar are reliable, experienced and able to speed shoppers through a checkout line. Costco is willing to pay to keep them around. — TUCSON, Ariz.—Costco cashier Tony Barzar unloaded …
Discussion:
Reason, The Daily Wire, Cafe Hayek and Fox Business
Charles P. Pierce / Esquire:
Is Mitch McConnell Even Alive? If So, Where the Hell Is He? — Republicans are really into strange disappearances lately. — I have withheld comment on this whole Mitch McConnell business because I find it difficult to analyze a person without the most basic information—like, whether or not he's freaking alive.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Straight Arrow, The Preamble, New York Times, HuffPost, American Greatness, Associated Press, Breitbart, Politico, The Independent, Salon, Truthout, Blaze Media, The Hill, Axios, ABC News, Fox News, Washington Times, New York Post, Townhall, Scripps News, CNBC, Newsweek, UPI, One America News Network, NBC News, Washington Post and kentucky.gov
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:
CNN, The Independent, New York Post, Washington Times, Staff Stories, SCOTUSblog, Townhall, Fox News, CNBC, NewsMax.com, New York Times, The Guardian, Al Jazeera, RedState, Raw Story, Colorado Politics, Reuters, Mediaite and Law & Crime
Diana Nerozzi / Politico:
RNC midterm convention to be candidate fundraiser, with tickets reaching $20,000 in some states — An invitation from the Denton County Republican Party outside of Dallas offers attendees at the GOP's midterm convention a chance to be “honorary delegates” for a cool $20,000.
Wall Street Journal:
The Fight Over Hormuz Boils Down to One Poorly Worded Clause in Trump's Deal — Paragraph 5 hands Iran a leading role in opening the waterway, but one the U.S. and its allies aren't comfortable with — President Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran was supposed to open the Strait …
Discussion:
CNBC, NewsMax.com, Raw Story, Bloomberg, Axios, Breitbart, Responsible Statecraft and Middle East Monitor
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.
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:
CBS News, Associated Press, Reuters, Straight Arrow, Raw Story, The Enterprise and The Independent
Joshua Keating / Vox:
Why Putin's nuclear threats aren't working anymore — Key takeaways — Ukraine is increasingly launching drone strikes deep into Russia and threatening Russian-annexed Crimea, both steps that many once feared would result in nuclear retaliation from Moscow.
Discussion:
Reuters, Clash Report, The Hill, Lawfare and Wall Street Journal
New York Times:
As Consumers Pare Spending, Grocery Stores Race to Cut Prices — While shoppers may get better deals on some items, it's unlikely their overall grocery bill will fall. — Competing for strained consumers, America's grocery stores are cutting prices on some key products.
MS NOW:
Trump appointees are overruling DOJ lawyers scrutinizing corporate mergers — Justice leaders are blocking the enforcement of laws meant to protect consumers from price gouging, sources say. — President Donald Trump's Justice Department is moving to scuttle lawsuits and investigations …
Discussion:
The Wrap and CNN, more at Mediagazer »
Evan Simon / Wired:
Data Centers Are Quietly Taking Over Texas. The Pollution Could Be Catastrophic — A regulatory loophole has let in thousands of new fossil-fuel-burning power sources across the state. The AI business is booming—but residents feel blindsided. — Omaira Garcia didn't realize life …

