“Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the race after a sexual assault allegation. Democrats need to pick a candidate to replace Platner on the ballot by July 27, according to state law. Whoever is selected will have less than four months before facing longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election. Potential candidates had already been teasing their interest before Platner, who denies the allegation, announced he intends to drop out. But a growing number began formally launching their campaigns Thursday. These are some of the people who have shown interest in the Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson … Nirav Shah … Dan Kleban … Shenna Bellows.” (07/09/26)
“US President Donald Trump formally began the process of removing Syria from his country’s list of state sponsors of terrorism on Wednesday, notifying Congress after telling Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa the move would help rebuild the war-ravaged country. The decision marks a major shift in Washington’s policy towards Damascus and is a boost for Sharaa after Tuesday’s explosions in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. … The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on US foreign assistance, defence exports and certain financial transactions.” (07/08/26)
“The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in crossfire that again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Persian Gulf. The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of the fragile ceasefire. The U.S. struck a variety of military sites and port facilities early Wednesday after Iran targeted several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman, sparking Iranian fire then as well. But Thursday’s attacks appeared bigger all around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters. There was no immediate word of damage in the three Gulf Arab countries from attacks claimed by Iran’s military.” (07/09/26)
“Ukrainian drones on Thursday hit more Russian oil facilities and set two oil tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot air defense systems. … Early Thursday, a Ukrainian drone strike triggered a fire at an oil depot in the city of Tver in western Russia, according to acting regional Gov. Vitaly Korolyov. And in the southern Stavropol region, Gov. Vladimir Vladimirov said oil reservoirs has been set ablaze by Ukrainian drones in Vyazniki. … In the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian drones set two oil tankers ablaze, according to Rostov Gov. Yuri Slusar, who said that one of the ships was still burning and the crews were evacuated.” (07/09/26)
“Graham Platner announced Wednesday he’s ending his Senate campaign, capping a chaotic few days of uncertainty and Democratic infighting and leaving the party without a candidate in the vitally important Maine race this fall. The announcement by the populist [sic] progressive [sic] came after a woman he dated accused him of sexual assault in 2021, causing his support to hemorrhage even among top Democratic allies, who rescinded their endorsements and called on him to drop out.” (07/08/26)
“US President Donald Trump says he plans to ask the United States Supreme Court to rehear a recent case which struck down his order to end birthright citizenship for all individuals born in the US. The court last month rejected Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship in the US, but speaking on Wednesday, the president said he will ask for the case to be heard again. … Trump called the latest ruling ‘too bad for our country’ and appealed to Republicans in Congress to pass legislation constricting birthright citizenship. That will likely prove to be an uphill battle, with public opinion polls regularly showing strong public support for the practice and the Supreme Court’s majority opinion [noting that] a constitutional amendment would be required.” (07/09/26)
“A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of $5.8 million to E. Jean Carroll three years after the jury awarded payment for damages caused by President Trump. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said Carroll should receive the funds, which were placed in an escrow account while Trump appealed a verdict that found him liable for defaming Carroll. During his first term in the Oval Office, Trump said Carroll’s claims that he sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in Manhattan were a ‘con job’ and ‘hoax.’ A jury determined his statements were defamatory and negatively impacted Carroll professionally. The Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal to overturn the case without an explanation or reasoning last week. … Trump’s lawyers appealed Kaplan’s ruling less than an hour after it was issued.” (07/08/26)
“A Berlin court on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a German doctor to life in prison on charges of murdering 15 of his patients who were under palliative care, in a case involving allegations he torched the homes of victims to try to cover up the crimes. The 41-year-old doctor, who has only been identified as Johannes M. in line with Germany’s privacy rules, went on trial nearly a year ago at a Berlin state court. Part of an end-of-life care team at a nursing service in Berlin, he was initially suspected of the deaths of four patients. Prosecutors eventually accused him of the deaths of 15 people between September 2021 and July 2024. The Berlin court found the physician administered a lethal mixture of various medications to 12 women and three men, German news agency dpa reported.” (07/08/26)
“Waymo has activated fully driverless operations in Las Vegas, its riders will now see vehicles with no human at the wheel, and the Alphabet unit says Denver, San Diego, and Tampa are next in line. The move adds four new markets to Waymo’s driverless footprint and pushes the company deeper into its target of 1 million paid rides per week by the end of 2026. … Waymo now operates a fleet of roughly 3,500 robotaxis and has surpassed 20 million trips. It was providing around 500,000 paid rides per week across its existing markets earlier this year, which include Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando.” (07/08/26)
“Drone strikes on civilian vehicles headed to social gatherings in Sudan have killed over 20 people in recent day, according to rights groups, as the use of unmanned aircraft becomes increasingly common in the north eastern African country’s war. A drone hit the outskirts of Khartoum killing 10 civilians, including five women from the same family, as they drove to a wedding, the Sudan Doctors Network said Wednesday. The medical aid group, which has been tracking violence between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces throughout the war — which is in its fourth year — blamed Tuesday’s attack on a road west of Omdurman, the sister city of the capital, Khartoum, on the RSF. All of those on the vehicle, which caught fire, were killed.” (07/08/26)
