July 6, 2026

Jessica Piper & Adam Wren of Politico: “A woman who dated Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner says he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections, an allegation Platner denies. The woman, a 41-year-old Maine resident named Jenny Racicot, detailed the alleged incident to Politico in three interviews over the past two weeks. Politico also spoke with a man Racicot dated and confided in the years after the alleged incident, and reviewed documents, including emails between Racicot and her therapist and messages between Racicot and an acquaintance whom she warned against getting involved with Platner years before he ran for office. Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner, who is now the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, for more than two years before he entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop. She said she cut off contact with him after telling him the encounter was not consensual.” ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Howard of Politico: “Maine U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner said Monday he is 'taking the time to reflect on the best path forward' for his candidacy minutes after Politico reported that a woman who dated him said he forced her to have sex with him. Platner denied the allegation, but he said in a roughly two-minute video posted to social media on Monday that he is 'mindful of the political reality' the reporting 'will inflict.'... It’s the first time that Platner — despite a series of scandals ranging from controversial online posts to earlier accusations about his behavior with women to a tattoo with Nazi ties — has indicated he was considering exiting the race.” ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Howard of Politico: “The leaders of Maine’s Democratic Party are calling on Senate candidate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race....  Their call for Platner’s exit is notable, given the state party has the ability to replace him on the ballot, should he choose to drop out before the July 13 deadline outlined in Maine law. Leaders would then need to select his replacement by July 27.” ~~~

     ~~~ Andrew Howard of Politico: “Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen. Ruben Gallego rescinded their support of Graham Platner on Monday, with Khanna additionally calling for the Democratic nominee to drop out of the Maine Senate race. It’s a significant reversal from two formerly staunch Democratic defenders of Platner....”

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments. From the pinned item at 7:00 pm ET Monday: “It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Platner intended to continue his campaign against Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican.... [Jenny Racicot] told The New York Times this spring about a 2021 incident in which she said he arrived at her house drunk after she had asked him not to come over. At the time, she declined to share further details of that encounter on the record, but she said she found his behavior 'reckless' and 'unsettling,' and cut off contact soon after that episode.... Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who had been one of Platner’s most vocal supporters, called on Platner to drop out of his Senate race.... 'These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement,' [Mr. Khanna said].... State Senator Mattie Daughtry, a Democrat and the president of the Maine Senate, said in a statement that Mr. Platner should exit the race.... Senator Collins, who is seen as one of the most vulnerable incumbent Republicans in the Senate, said in a statement that the 'allegations are appalling.'”

Marie's Sports Page. Adam Crafton of the (NYT) Athletic: “FIFA has dismissed Belgium’s challenge over the eligibility of Folarin Balogun after world soccer’s governing body decided to suspend his one-game ban ahead of the World Cup round-of-16 match with the United States. Despite being dismissed against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the USMNT striker is available to face Belgium in Seattle on Monday night after an intervention involving ... Donald Trump, government officials, U.S. Soccer and an extensive legal team.” ~~~

~~~ Sophia Cai of Politico has the backstory on how the White House engineered the suspension of the red card. Andrew Giuliani, who is Trump's point man on the World Cup, “Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and senior U.S. Soccer Federation officials — all of whom had watched the Bosnia match in person at Levi’s Stadium near San Francisco — began activating plans to challenge the referee’s on-field decision to issue a red card. Successful appeals of World Cup red cards are exceedingly rare. That kicked off four days of coordinated lobbying, legal maneuvering and diplomacy that stretched from the Oval Office to FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich — and underscored how invested Trump’s inner circle had become in the second World Cup hosted on U.S. soil and the fortune of the U.S. men’s national team competing in it.” ~~~

~~~ Paul Waldman: “We went from 'Trump is going to ruin the World Cup' to 'Not even Trump can ruin the World Cup,' and unfortunately, now we’ve come around to 'Trump is ruining the World Cup.'” Thanks to Ken W. for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I know you're all impressed I'm such a crack sports reporter, but I have to admit that -- as often as he'd appeared in Trump stories over the past year or so -- it didn't really register with me that the name of the FIFA prez is Gianni Infantino. That would be pronounced "Johnny In-fahn-TEE-no" even tho U.S. speakers often pronounce his first name "Gee-AHN-ee" or "Gee-ANN-ee" and British speakers would pronounce his last name "In-fan-TEE-no." You won't be surprised to read that "infantino" is a diminutive of "infant" ("infante" in Italian) so "infantino" means "tiny little infant." So the poor guy's name is Johnny Little Infant. That would be such a good name for Trump. ~~~

~~~ Jeanna Smialek & Ali Watkins of the New York Times: “Tensions between the United States and Europe took a new turn on Monday as Belgian officials and European soccer figures expressed outrage over the reinstatement of a banned American player before an evening World Cup game against Belgium. The trans-Atlantic relationship had already been under strain for much of the past year and a half, and is poised to face another test just this week as leaders head to Turkey for a closely watched NATO summit. Now many in Europe are also outraged over what they see as the American president’s meddling in soccer.... [Donald] Trump started 2026 with threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member, a move that rattled the foundations of the alliance. He has also assailed European leaders over the war in Iran, saying they have not supported the United States in that conflict. His administration has threatened to draw down troops stationed in Europe, which are seen as a critical deterrent to Russia, and he has lashed out at countries he says aren’t spending enough on their militaries.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't know what the diplomatic equivalent of a punch in the nose is, but I hope the Belgian Prime Minister gives it to Trump this week. ~~~ 

~~~ He's Just a Petty Little Mean Girl. Michael Birnbaum & Ellen Francis of the Washington Post: “... the president by now is ... well acquainted with the theatrics of NATO gatherings, reveling, according to his associates, in the drama of threatening fellow leaders and watching them scramble to keep him happy. The strains increase every year, with Trump’s popularity sinking in Europe after he threatened to seize Greenland in January and sent energy prices spiking with his attack on Iran.” 

RAS is concerned(^TM-Collins) that "somebody"is about to be indicted for attacking the Reflecting Pool again. RAS has posted one picture. Here's another of some of the fireworks debris park employees (or maybe National Guard?) have fished out of the Pool:

Joe Jervis republishes a portion of a Reuters report: “The US Coast Guard said 'politically charged' messages led to the removal of an environmental group’s vessel from a fleet of sailing ships gathered in New York on Saturday to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary. A ship owned by the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater environmental organization was forced out of the Sail4th 250 parade in New York Harbor, the Coast Guard said in a statement emailed to Reuters. The ship had banners that read, 'Save the Clean Water Act' and 'Indigenous Rights, Racial Justice, Climate Solutions.' Participants in the event had agreed to refrain from displaying political or politically charged messages or statements, according to the Coast Guard, which said it enforced the agreement on behalf of Sail4th. 'The owner of the sloop Clearwater was contacted and requested to remove the message being displayed or be removed from the parade of sail,' the Coast Guard said. 'They declined to remove it.'” Thanks to RAS for the link. ~~~

     ~~~ Update. Jeff Simms & Brian Cronin of the Highlands (Hudson Valley) Current: “... Clearwater Executive Director David Toman ... said crew members were not immediately told why they were being removed from the parade, and a quick call to organizers provided little clarity. 'They told us they were unaware of this and that the decision was being made above their heads,' said Toman. It was only later that someone from one of the Coast Guard vessels told Clearwater Capt. Rory Kane that it was because of the ship’s banners, Toman said.... Toman [-- whose organization had been part of the planning of the event from the beginning --] said that no such restrictions [of political messaging] existed, only that ships were instructed not to carry banners that could be considered 'promotional.'.... Jen Benson of Clearwater, who was on the sloop, said there was no communication from either Sail250 or the Coast Guard regarding the banners. 'We were not given an option to remove the banners and continue in the parade,' she said.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose we'll never get to the bottom of Sail4thGate, but my guess is that some Stephen Miller-type ghoul was appalled by the Clearwater's messaging and lowered the boom, so to speak. 

Cate Cadell of the Washington Post: “China fired a long-range missile from a nuclear-powered submarine deep into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, its first known demonstration of a sea-based strategic nuclear strike capability, raising alarm among U.S. allies. Countries in the region, including Japan, Australia and New Zealand, were notified shortly before the test, in which a missile carrying a dummy warhead was launched at 12:01 p.m. Beijing time, according to Chinese officials and state media. It was not immediately clear whether the Chinese government also notified the United States ahead of time.”

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Marie: The video below is an ad for a company called Sky Elements, which "flew a 2,500-drone show in North Richland Hills, Texas to kickoff the nation's Fourth of July celebrations." Ad or not, I'm impressed: ~~~

~~~ Digby embeds a series of social media posts that show people around the world honoring the U.S.'s 250th anniversary celebration. She writes, "After what Trump has done and said globally to embarrass this country and make everyone see that we have seriously lost our way, it was incredibly generous and shows that there is hope for us yet.... Seeing these other countries wish us well brings up the sadness I suppress every day, not because I’m nostalgic for a country that never existed. We were always far from perfect.I’m just sad that we’ve somehow allowed this toxic movement to degrade and destroy so much of the progress we did manage to make. It feels like one step forward, two steps back.... I am 100% positive that the America those countries were celebrating is not Donald Trump’s America. They were celebrating ours." Thanks to RAS for the link. MB: I share digby's sadness. And I do agree that most of those international celebrants were tipping their hats to the U.S. ideal, and that is by definition a repudiation of Donald Trump and his enablers. ~~~

~~~ Jeremy Roebuck, et al., of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump said Sunday he personally overruled a recommendation to cancel the July Fourth 'Salute to America' event on the National Mall after approaching storms forced a chaotic evacuation of hundreds of thousands of revelers and triple-digit heat cast a sweltering pall over much of the day. The president ... on Sunday declared the event a rousing success in a Truth Social post.... Trump got the July Fourth rally and pyrotechnic show he wanted. And much like the event itself, which effectively supplanted earlier plans for Washington’s July Fourth celebrations that had been in the works for years, it happened primarily through his own sheer force of will.... Those involved in the planning acknowledged that the weather had presented challenges ... and drawn questions from critics about whether officials had adequately prepared for a weather forecast that days before the event had called for high heat and a strong chance of dangerous storms.” ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE in Los Angeles. Hannah Knowles of the Washington Post: America 250, “the nonpartisan group originally tasked [by Congress a decade ago] with celebrating America’s 250th birthday[,] tried to steer clear of politics at its flagship event [in Los Angeles] Saturday.... [The organization] pressed ahead even as Trump went his own way and launched his own group to plan 250th events — creating a remarkable split screen. While many performers pulled out of Trump’s Great American State Fair and other events — leaving the president himself to headline — the Los Angeles event was stacked with celebrities. Where Trump’s Fourth of July was chaotic, largely due to oppressive heat and thunderstorms, the benefit concert in Los Angeles was orderly.... The audience was, to some, a testament to the diversity that they say is under attack in Trump’s second administration. People of all ethnicities and accents wore Fourth of July regalia in the belief that 'this is their country, too,' one young man marveled.” 

Jared Yates Sexton, on a Substack he calls "Dispatches from a Collapsing State," reflects on the semiquincentennial. His essay is full of true things -- that is to say, one downer after another. He also provides something of an answer, I think, to what Patrick wrote here last week (and which I've been thinking about): "And yet ... the thing that is different about us, and saving, is that you, as an American, could aspire to become a member of our club. Such aspiration was almost impossible in any of the 'old countries.'" Sexton's response to Patrick's guarded optimism would run along lines that appear in his "Notes on the Revolution": "For all of the flourishes of rhetoric, the rationalization through Enlightenment ideals, the hagiographic mythmaking, and generations’ of shameless and exhausting star-spangled propaganda, what remains is the undeniable core of what hid beneath the visage of revolution: a king was overthrown to make way for a new class of kings." Still, even Sexton is not entirely pessimistic. He posits that even though the Declaration was "penned by a slaveholding rapist..., the energy is real and has inspired millions...." (He then ends that very sentence with another devastating downer!) My point is, there is a balance between grim realities and slivers of light, and we each have to determine (a) what we think the proper balance is, and (b) what small things we might do to tilt that balance toward the light. Thanks to akaWendy for the link.

Marie's Sports Report. Pardon King Engineers Another Kind of Pardon. Tyler Pager & Tariq Panja of the New York Times: Donald “Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, on Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension of the United States’ top goal scorer in the World Cup, Folarin Balogun, after he was given a red card in the team’s match that night against Bosnia and Herzegovina.... The red card also carried a one-game suspension for Monday’s match against Belgium.... On Sunday, FIFA reversed the suspension, announcing that Mr. Balogun would be eligible to play Monday against Belgium. The reversal is highly unusual and is the first time since 1962 that FIFA has allowed a player to appear in a game when they would have been suspended after being sent off in the World Cup. Mr. Infantino has spent years trying to curry favor with Mr. Trump.... The Belgian federation reacted with fury on Sunday.... The federation [said] that it was 'investigating all potential options.'” The link appears to be a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) The Guardian's report is here. Politico's report on Belgians' reaction to Team USA's reversal of fortunes is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Sophia Cai of Politico: “Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was involved in behind-the-scenes conversations with FIFA to get U.S. striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban suspended, according to two people.... Lutnick has developed close ties with the leadership of soccer’s governing body.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: BTW, it's so heartening to see Donald Trump sticking up for a young man -- a young man whose parents are from one of those "shithole countries" -- who is able to play for the U.S. only because he enjoys birthright citizenship: Sean Gregory of Time: Folarin Balogun "grew up in the U.K., he’s played professionally in Europe, and he joined the American team just three years ago, after the U.S. won a recruiting battle over England and Nigeria, where his parents are from.... Balogun’s an accidental American. His mother, Florence, visited New York City in 2001 when she was pregnant with him. She tried to return to London, but the airline deemed her too far along to fly. So she gave birth to her son in July 2001 in Brooklyn, stayed at her sister-in-law’s place for about two months, then flew home with her newborn." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Marie: One of the paradoxes of Donald Trump's twisted belief system is his repeated false claim that his father was born in Germany. On March 3, during a visit by German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump told reporters, “My father was born there [in Germany]....” Trump's father was born in the Bronx. Although journalists have previously corrected his claim about his father's birthplace, in his senility Trump continues to believe that his father was an immigrant to the U.S. During that same March 2026 soliloquy, Trump said of the U.K., “... And I love that country. I love it. My mother was born there,” Trump's mother was born in Scotland. So -- as far as Trump is concerned -- both of his parents were immigrants. Nevertheless, on the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children born in the U.S. to unauthorized immigrants and temporary visa holders. (I cannot guess what status he imagines his "immigrant" parents enjoyed.) Despite the Supreme Court's narrowly striking down his unconstitutional E.O., Trump continues to rail against birthright citizenship. And yet. And yet. He thinks he himself is what he would call an "anchor baby," a baby born in the U.S. to foreign-born residents. We can only conclude that the difference Trump sees between himself and those birthright citizens whom he would ban is that he's White and they're not.

Joe DePaolo of Mediaite: “Donald Trump, during his weather-delayed speech at the Great American State Fair late Saturday, made a claim about the Declaration of Independence which seems to misrepresent the founding document: '“And as our Declaration of Independence tells us, we are all made in the image of one Almighty God. And a Communist will never say that. That’s for sure.' However, the Declaration of Independence makes no reference to people being made in the image of one Almighty God.... A version of the clip which gained traction on X included a community note which pointed out that the Declaration does not allude to people being made in God’s image.” (Also linked yesterday.)~~~

     ~~~ As we noted yesterday, this isn't the first lie Trump told about the content of the Declaration. He once characterized it as "A declaration of unity and love and respect, and it means a lot. And it’s something very special to our country." Trump is a complete phony who has gotten by his entire life without doing his homework. On anything. And he lies with such aplomb that he doesn't even bother to invent the dog who ate his homework. He assumes the listener will accept his bull as gospel. And maybe one time out of three, he's right. ~~~

~~~ The only people who can hold Trump to task are judges who have the force of the entire legal system to back them up. Still, even they have a hard time beating back Trump's phony excuses: ~~~

~~~ Bart Jansen of USA Today, published by the Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.): "A federal judge rejected ... Donald Trump’s request for more time to respond to New York writer E. Jean Carroll’s demand for $5.8 million she won in a civil lawsuit against him. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York denied the request in a one-sentence order Saturday. Trump must now reply by Tuesday." Thanks to RAS for the link. (Also linked yesterday.) See related Guardian story linked yesterday for the gist of Trump's preposterous argument for delaying payment.

On Saturday akaWendy linked a bit of historical trivia: Atlantic Editors: “This essay originally ran in 2016, shortly afters its author published his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. We are republishing it on the occasion of its tenth anniversary, so that our readers can judge for themselves how well his assessment of the man he now serves as vice president has stood the test of time." -- J. D. Vance: “During this election season, it appears that many Americans have reached for a new pain reliever. It too, promises a quick escape from life’s cares, an easy solution to the mounting social problems of U.S. communities and culture. It demands nothing and requires little more than a modest presence and maybe a few enablers. It enters minds, not through lungs or veins, but through eyes and ears, and its name is Donald Trump.... Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein.... Trump is cultural heroin. He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it.” The link is a gift link. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

     ~~~ Peter Wehner of the Atlantic: “'One day' is today.” Thanks to akaWendy for this gift link. According to Joe DePaolo of Mediaite, JayDee's little essay dissing the boss has gone viral. (Also linked yesterday.)

Trumpists Can't Handle the Truth. Graham Bowley, et al., of the New York Times: “In a broadside posted to its website just as fireworks celebrating America’s 250th birthday were lighting up skies on Saturday, the White House condemned the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History for what it said was a failure to celebrate the nation’s heritage, arguing it had become a political tool intent on denigrating the American story. The 162-page report, by the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, represents a sweeping attack on the museum’s presentation of American history. It is the latest step in the Trump administration’s campaign to pressure the Smithsonian into conforming to what ... [Donald] Trump has described as 'patriotic' history. While the report concludes that the broader Smithsonian Institution — which oversees 21 museums and the National Zoo — 'has not met its obligations to the American people,' it places particular blame on the National Museum of American History.” The AP's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Nobody's perfect, so I don't doubt that some Smithsonian exhibits invite criticism. But in general the institution's goal is to make accurate, nonpartisan representations. Some exhibits of course may reflect a "moral bias"; that is, they may, for instance, present slavery as antithetical to the American ideal. And the "White House" -- that is, Trump and his minions -- do not share a "moral bias" with the independent scholars who develop some Smithsonian exhibits. The Trump set tends to oppose and resist what most of today's Americans embrace as "American values." This new report appears to be another manifestation of Trumpian, anti-American views. AND it inadvertently explains why official federal 250th anniversary events were such laughable flops. 

Another Voluntary Capitulation to Trump. Max Tani of Semafor: “The Federal Communications Commission has already changed the programming of one of television’s last remaining relevant daytime talk shows — before even making any formal demands. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced in February the agency was investigating whether The View violated the 'equal time' rule, a 1930s regulation that requires broadcast programs to give equal airtime to opposing candidates if they permit a candidate for public office to appear on public airwaves. Since then, the ABC talk show hasn’t featured a single political candidate running in a competitive midterm race, according to a Semafor analysis. A spokesperson ... has previously said the show is a 'bona fide news program' and therefore isn’t subject to the equal time rule.... Since Barbara Walters created the show in 1997, it’s become a must-visit campaign stop for political candidates running for every office.”

Doug Burgum Is One of Those Trumpists Who Can't Handle the Truth. ~~~

(1) Joe DePaolo of Mediaite: “CNN’s Dana Bash confronted ... [Interior Secretary Doug Burgum] about a white nationalist group which marched in Washington D.C. on Saturday.” Marie: Even when Bash pressed Burgum repeatedly, he seemed kind of okay with the far-right, racist nutjobs carrying confederate flags & upside-down U.S. flags as they marched through the city. First Amendment, blah, blah; plus, you know, “... there are protests on the Mall that people say things that I think are irreprehensible (sic) about President Trump....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

(2) Raquel Uribe of NBC News: “Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Sunday that the government will use the same company that was awarded a multimillion-dollar, no-bid contract to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to repair damage to its original work. Burgum said in an interview on CNN’s 'State of the Union' that the company the government used to paint the base of the pool 'American flag blue' did 'extremely well,' alleging that chunks of paint have become loose because of vandalism. 'We will use the same company because they did a fantastic job,' Burgum said.”

When You're a Billionaire, You Just Do It. Andrew Tangel, et al., of the Wall Street Journal, republished by MSN: “NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman flew a vintage jet fighter at the Fourth of July air show over Washington, D.C., despite objections by federal air-safety regulators. A representative for Isaacman late last month petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to allow four 1970s-built jets to join aircraft flying over the National Mall for America’s 250th birthday celebration.... The FAA deemed the jets 'very high-risk,' posing a potential danger to people and property on the ground.... In an interview, Isaacman said there was no question about whether the flyover could be conducted safely....

“Isaacman, an experienced aviator who has flown military aircraft for years, described the situation as a misunderstanding about the FAA’s role in an event like the 250th celebration.... While NASA officials sought the exemptions from the FAA, Isaacman said using the F-5s for the flyover fell under different rules than those governing civilian aviation. Those rules take government aircraft out of the FAA’s jurisdiction. The space agency chief said he had earlier put the planes under NASA control, though the titles for the planes weren’t transferred.... Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who oversees the FAA, backed the agency’s safety decision and didn’t intervene....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: There are so many scandals surrounding Trump and his administration that if something analogous to the following had happened to Isaacman's jet, it would have been a one- or two-day story: ~~~  

Marie: It would be appropriate, I suppose, if there was truth to this conspiracy theory about perhaps the most cunning, most duplicitous Senate leader in U.S. history: ~~~

~~~ Is Mitch Dead? Alexander Willis of the Raw Story: Sen. Mitch "McConnell [R-Ky.] was rushed to the hospital in mid-June for an undisclosed medical reason.... It wasn't until last week that media outlets learned McConnell had been discovered 'unconscious' at his home and had to be administered CPR for potential 'cardiac arrest.'... Some [journalists], including independent journalist and crypto commentator Adam Cochran, have a theory. 'In Kentucky, a special election to replace a Senator will NOT be called if it’s closer than 3 months till the next election,' Cochran wrote Saturday in a social media post on X. 'If McConnell’s condition is clearly unfit for office, they’d hide that to avoid being forced to submit a resignation letter until after that date.'... Cochran suggested that Republicans may be seeking to avoid having ousted Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) make a last-minute grab for McConnell’s seat.... 'So all they have to do is drag their feet until [the second Tuesday in August], then tell you that he didn’t make it,' Cochran continued." (Also linked yesterday.)

Teo Armus, et al., of the Washington Post: “As more Americans take on a positive view of socialism — and more candidates who embrace that label win elections — Republicans are increasingly using a different label: communist....The socialist label itself is less polarizing than it used to be.... [Donald Trump] hammered [progressive candidates] repeatedly in events at Mount Rushmore and the National Mall over the July Fourth holiday, blaming the resurgence of communism on 'newcomers to our country' whom he characterized as 'a mortal threat to American liberty.'” ~~~

     ~~~ Get Real! Heather Cox Richardson: "Communists call for the end of private ownership of the means of production, giving the state control of private enterprises. In today’s America, it is actually Trump, himself, who is taking government stakes in private enterprises.... Democratic Socialists ... echo Americans from the 1860s, when the Republicans established public colleges, or the 1900s, when Theodore Roosevelt called for public health insurance. Indeed, what today’s Democratic Socialists call for is much more limited than what the Republicans under President Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted in 1956, when the top income tax bracket in the United States was 91%." 

This is the most partisan Supreme Court in the history of the nation. -- Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), X post ~~~

~~~ WashPo Reporters State the Obvious. Justin Jounvenal & Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: “The Supreme Court dramatically reshaped elections in recent months, sharply limiting a law that has been a cornerstone of minority voter empowerment, allowing states to gerrymander maps and loosening campaign finance regulations. The conservative majority says the series of decisions helps correct an election system that has run afoul of the Constitution.... Most of the rulings, which have rolled out as the country heads toward pivotal midterm elections, benefit Republicans. That’s led critics — starting with some of the court’s liberal justices — to complain the court’s conservative majority has gone beyond enunciating broad legal principles and put a thumb on the scale in upcoming races. What is clear is that the Supreme Court has tilted this fall’s electoral landscape toward Republicans as they struggle with voter discontent.... Legal experts said the justices’ intervention amid an election cycle and the pace at which the court is moving to implement changes that largely benefit one party is all but unprecedented in recent years.” 

Tiffany Hsu of the New York Times: “Wikipedia is in peril. In a world where trust in truth is crumbling, the grande dame of collective online fact-gathering is under threat on every front. The MAGA right, with Elon Musk at the fore, is slinging accusations of political bias and antisemitism and has even questioned the site’s nonprofit status. Artificial intelligence is raiding the encyclopedia’s resources and draining attention. Repressive governments have hauled its volunteer editors into penal colonies. In Wikipedia’s 25-year history, it has never had to fight this hard. The organization that supports the site, the Wikimedia Foundation, is increasing its lobbying budget and advertising in Times Square. It is charging companies like Google and Meta that gobble up the encyclopedia’s 65 million articles, and throttling access for certain scrapers. And it is expanding its human rights team to better protect volunteers against rising harassment, surveillance and retaliation.... [And] it found a diplomat: Bernadette Meehan, 50, became Wikimedia’s chief executive in January, after stints as the U.S. ambassador to Chile and at the Obama Foundation, at the State Department, at the National Security Council and on Wall Street.”

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Michigan Senate Race. Emilio Ibarguen of Politico: “Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow announced Sunday that she is suspending her campaign for U.S. Senate, leaving Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed to battle for the Democratic nomination for the seat being vacated by Sen. Gary Peters. The announcement clears the way for the two remaining candidates — Stevens, a four-term representative aligned with the Democratic establishment, and El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official who recently nabbed an endorsement from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — with just under a month to go until the state’s Democratic primary.” (Also linked yesterday.)

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Ukraine/Russia. Cassandra Vinograd of the New York Times: “Explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early on Monday, the eve of a NATO summit, as Russia mounted its second major attack on the city in days. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who is expected to attend the NATO summit in Turkey, had warned that Russia was preparing 'a new massive strike' against the capital. Loud blasts shook the city hours later. The regional military administration said ballistic missiles were flying, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters. Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said that at least seven people had been killed. At least two dozen others were wounded.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: These bombings of civilians strike me as a tactical mistake on Putin's part. They will only increase the resolve of European leaders. Even Donald Trump, who in general has the same disregard for ordinary people as does Putin, is opposed to killing, probably because he hates the sight of blood and other bodily fluids.