Maine’s embattled Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner dropped out of the race on Wednesday after a former partner accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021
“We believe for the movement to continue, it can’t be me and for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platnersaidin a video posted to social media
My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm
— Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026
Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who dated Platner on and off for two years,told Politicoon Monday that the former Marine drunkenly entered her home uninvited five years ago and forced himself on her even as she asked him to stop
Platner initially denied Racicot’s allegations, and he maintained his innocence in his announcement. He called the accusations “all false” and blamed a “corporate media system and the political establishment [that] got to act as judge, jury, and executioner.”
Maine’s Democratic Party now has until July 27 to pick a candidate to appear on the ballot in November’s general election
Calls for Platner’s exit had been brewing since Racicot’s announcement
Platner’s insurgent progressive populist campaign had come close to derailing on multiple occasions. Last October, Platner had toapologize for commentingon Reddit that people concerned about sexual assault had to “take some responsibility for themselves and not get so fucked up they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to.” Around the same time, there was the controversy around his NaziTotenkopf tattoo, which Platner said he and other Marines had done on leave in Croatia in 2007.
And less than two months ago, there was the warning his current wife gave to his Senate campaign about how he had sentsexually explicit textsto several women while they were married. Now, finally, Platner is recusing himself from this political moment. Hopefully, we’re all better off for it
Reminder:
It Sure Sounds Like Graham Platner Knew He’d Gotten a Nazi Tattoo
A former judge wasspareda prison sentence Wednesday after being convicted for helping an immigrant evade ICE agents in her Wisconsin courtroom
U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman only gave Hannah Dugan a $5,000 fine, saying, “I think this is a situation where an otherwise good person, upset by immigration policies in this country, made a bad decision in the moment.” Dugan faced up to five years in prison
“This is a few minutes of conduct for someone who has dedicated her life to public service,” Adelman said. “It’s a marked de
Dugan wasfound guiltylast December on two counts of federal obstruction, though jurors did not charge her with concealing an individual from arrest. The case followed an incident in which federal immigration agents entered the court in April 2025 to arrest Mexican immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. Dugan confronted the agents outside her courtroom and redirected them to the chief judge’s office on grounds that their warrant was insufficient. Flores-Ruiz was later arrested outside the court
In his ruling, Adelman noted that Dugan had decades of public service, no pattern of criminal behavior, and an otherwise clean record. He added that the consequences of Dugan having a criminal record and losing her judicial position were enough, and that Flores-Ruiz was ultimately detained and deported anyway
Before her sentencing, Dugan told the court that she meant to preserve “decorum and safety of the courtroom” by helping Flores-Ruiz
“I have been cast as both a scofflaw and a hero. I am neither. I am a public servant who’s just trying to do my job,” Dugan said
Six ICE agents showed up at Dugan’s Milwaukee courthouse in April last year, preparing to arrest and deport Flores-Ruiz, who was set to appear before Dugan in court over three misdemeanor counts of battery. According to prosecutors, Dugan led Flores-Ruiz out of a private door instead of the courtroom’s public exit, telling her court reporter she’d “get the heat” for her actions
The FBI subsequentlyarrestedDugan, sparking a backlash fromDemocratsand evensome conservatives. She later resigned from the Milwaukee County Circuit bench after Wisconsin Republican legislators threatened to impeach her
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday that his department would redirect $1.73 billion in Biden-era grants away from establishing “DEI bike lanes” to build roads and bridges instead
So, what exactly is a “DEI bike lane?”
The Daily Wire pointed to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s claim that aseriesof 2021 grants funding bike lanes would serve to “improve infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, make us safer, advance equity, and combat climate change.”
Upon hearing “equity,” President Donald Trump’s goons can’t help but get triggered into attacking any federal spending that won’t benefit them directly. In reality, those Biden-era grants directed funds to build a new transit center in North Carolina, replace bridges in New Mexico, extend streets in New Hampshire, install traffic lights and crosswalks in Missouri, and install bike lanes in Seattle, among other projects. Now the financial status of these projects is unclear
The Daily Wire also complained that when the Biden administrationannouncedthe availability of $1.5 billion in grants in 2023, applicants were encouraged “to consider how their projects can address climate change, ensure racial equity, and remove barriers to opportunity.” Those funds were already awarded todozens of projectsacross the country—not just bike lanes—in both rural and urban areas
The Trump administration has madeextensive effortsto root out federal programs addressing racial discrimination. Now it seems that to even have considered racial inequality is grounds for losing millions of dollars
“America is fortunate to have a Builder in the White House who knows America is only as great as our infrastructure,” Duffy told The Daily Wire. “That’s why this Department is investing in repairing critical roads and bridges that connect Americans to job opportunities, port infrastructure that bolsters our national security, and a
But American families benefit from the presence of bike lanes, even if they don’t use them. Even the federal government acknowledges that bicycle lanesmake roads a lot safer
“To make bicycling safer and more comfortable for most types of bicyclists, State and local agencies should consider installing bicycle lanes,” said a statement from theFederal Highway Administration. “Providing bicycle facilities can mitigate or prevent interactions, conflicts, and crashes between bicyclists and motor vehicles, and create a network of safer roadways for bicycling.”
Rather, it seems likely that the Trump administration has chosen to zero in on bike lanes because they may be associated with urban areas that are led by Democrats and home to minority groups
The move is simultaneously a blow to the diverse communities in American cities and a cheap culture-war win over the liberal urbanites. At the same time, the policy is in line with Trump’s efforts toboostgas-powered vehicles
But American families will suffer from a lack of bike lanes too, especially with gas prices remaining high—and likely to stay that way
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A U.S. soldier who went missing in the Arabian Sea was declared dead just as Trump reignited his war on Iran
The missing soldier was identified Tuesday as Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 commanding officer Gabriel Edwards. He and three other soldiers were forced to emergency-land their helicopter in the Arabian Sea on July 1. While the others were rescued, Edwards was declared officially dead after 102 hours—over four days—of searching
“Commander Gabe Edwards was the epitome of selfless leadership, who dedicated himself to service and sacrifice for the last 20 years,” Captain Matthew Lewis said in astatementon Tuesday. “Our deepest gratitude and sympathy go out to his family, who should know that Gabe led his squadron, the HSC-5 ‘Nightdippers,’ with integrity and fortitude.”
The cause of the incident remains under investigation, but the Navy insists that Edwards’s death was not caused by a hostile act
Nevertheless, Edwards’s disappearance and death coincides with a once again active war between the U.S. and Iran. President Trump on Wednesday declared any deal with Iran null and void, following the worst exchange of fire between the two countries since the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, was signed. Iran targeted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. bases, and the U.S. bombed several coastal cities in Iran
“To me? I think it’s over,” Trumpsaidof the MOU at the NATO summit in Turkey. “They’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
Thirteen U.S soldiers have been confirmed to be killed in Iran, although that number has beenallegedto be an underestimate
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President Trump rejected FEMA disaster aid requests from four blue states last Friday, after accepting the aid requests of six red states just two days before This continues his blatant trend of prioritizing petty political beef over sorely needed FEMA funding—putting Americans at risk in the process
New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island were all denied after requesting a total of $227 million in aid following the brutal blizzard in February. All four states were well past the damage threshold required to trigger aid consideration
“After months of waiting, President Trump today denied our request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the blizzard that pummeled New York City, Long Island, and the Mid-Hudson in February of this year,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in astatementlast week. “New York’s communities … deserve to have access to every resource available to recover and rebuild. Instead they have a President who is turning his back on his home state.… We will appeal to ensure New Yorkers receive the federal assistance they deserve.”
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and the rest of the state’s congressional Democratic delegation similarly condemned Trump
“After months of inaction, on July 2, President Trump denied Rhode Island’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration related to the record snowfall and cold temperatures,” the delegationwroteon Monday
The letter also noted that Trumpbraggedabout granting over$846 million in disaster relief funds to Republican states on Truth Social the same day he denied their request—further proof of Trump purposefully withholding funds from blue states
“Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation believes the Trump Administration improperly rejected the Ocean State’s request, pointing out that President Trump has politicized disaster assistance for states over the last year and made it exponentially harder for so-called ‘blue states’ to get disaster funding under the highly partisan Trump Administration than it is for so-called ‘red states.’” They demanded he reverse the decision
The president also denied disaster relief requests from Vermont, Illinois, and Marylandlast year, and fromColorado and Californiaaround that same time—all while continuing to deliver aid to states where more people voted for him
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