July 8, 2026

Kimberleee Kruesi & Meg Kinnard of the AP: “Graham Platner said Wednesday that he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after facing an allegation of sexual assault, shuttering an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy only to implode and imperil Democrats’ attempt to regain power in Washington.... In an 11-minute video posted to social media, Platner said the process to replace him needs to be 'open, transparent and democratic' and to reflect the will and values of people who supported him. He also lashed out at Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C.” ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times is liveblogging developments. MB: I think this is Platner's full statement. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: It seems to me if Platner really wanted to advance his "movement" to change U.S. politics, he would not have trashed every institution that withdrew support from his candidacy. He also denied the rape allegations. If we suspend disbelief & assume for a moment that Jenny Racicot made up her accusation out of whole cloth, he might at least have apologized for involving himself in a relationship with a wacko who would make such false accusations, and that is how he let Mainers down. Instead, he blamed everybody else for a criminal episode during which Racicot claimed he was "blind drunk." What we have learned from Platner's pity party on the porch is that, for Platner, the race was never about the people, it was never about public service, it was always about him. He's Donald Trump without the made-in-China long red tie. 

Another “Sir” Story. Tyler Pager & Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: Donald “Trump’s head-spinning appearance at the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday began with him insulting vast swaths of Europe during the morning sessions and finished just hours later with him declaring that the whole thing had been one big kumbaya session. 'I just want to say there was tremendous love in that room,' he said at a news conference not long after he had said repeatedly that 'I’m not happy with NATO.' Describing his meetings behind closed doors, he boasted: 'They said, “Sir, we love you.” These are grown people saying that. Isn’t that nice?'” MB: It is unlikely that the presidents & prime ministers of other NATO countries address the POTUS* as “sir.”

Michael Sisak & Larry Neumeister of the AP: “Writer E. Jean Carroll can collect $5.8 million awarded to her after a jury found that ... Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed her, a federal judge [Lewis A. Kaplan] ruled Wednesday. Trump’s lawyers immediately appealed to stop the payment. The president has already deposited the money in an account.” Update: the New York Times story is here.

Bill Barrow of the AP: “Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is directly asking Sen. Mitch McConnell, the state’s most powerful figure in Congress, to disclose more about his condition after three weeks of silence from the 84-year-old since he was hospitalized in Washington. The letter released Wednesday from Beshear, a Democrat who is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2028, to the former Senate Republican leader says 'Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being, and ability to hold office.'” MB: Hmmm. Team Mitch might have to get them an AI Mitch to chat with Beshear.

Edgar Sandoval of the New York Times: “The son of a man from Mexico who was killed Tuesday by an immigration enforcement agent during a traffic stop in Houston called for an independent investigation into his death. Ronaldo Salgado, the son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, described learning that his father had been on his way to work when he was shot inside his car. During an emotional press briefing Wednesday, Mr. Salgado held back tears recalling the moment he saw a video in which he heard his father cry in agony moments after he was injured.... Mr. Araujo, 52, was mourned by his family as a father, husband and business owner who had been in the country for 35 years and was trying to obtain legal residency.... Federal authorities said that ... Mr. Araujo, whom they described as an 'illegal alien,' ... 'weaponized his vehicle' and tried to run over the agent, who then fired at him. No evidence was immediately provided to support that account.”

Patrick Marley of the Washington Post: “A former judge convicted of obstructing the arrest of an undocumented immigrant was sentenced Wednesday to a $5,000 fine but spared time behind bars. A jury in December convicted Hannah Dugan of a felony count of obstructing an official proceeding for interfering with the arrest outside of her courtroom while she was serving as a Milwaukee County judge. Dugan resigned as a judge in January. U.S. District Judge Lynn S. Adelman of Wisconsin’s Eastern District fined Dugan $5,000 but did not sentence her to probation or prison time, according to local media reports. Adelman, a former Democratic state senator, was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton.” The AP's report is here.

Say What? Michael Birnbaum & Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump heaped praise on Ukraine’s president and war effort Wednesday, speaking in unusually positive terms about Kyiv’s deep strikes inside Russia and appearing to grant one of Ukraine’s long-held requests: the ability to produce U.S.-designed Patriot air-defense missiles on Ukrainian soil. Trump’s words on Ukraine were a dramatic departure from his tone during his first year in office, when he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ungrateful for U.S. help and accused him of 'gambling with World War III.' Wednesday he spoke in admiring terms of Ukraine’s war effort and offered dramatic new assistance, first in a closed-door meeting with NATO leaders and then in a one-on-one with the Ukrainian leader.” ~~~

    ~~~ Marie: Well, maybe it's not so surprising; he might not have known whom he was talking to. During the joint press availability, Trump twice referred to President Zelensky as "President Putin." During the same event, he also said the Islamic Republic of Japan had been lobbing missiles at U.S. aircraft carrier. ~~~

     ~~~ Earlier, he fell asleep during a presser with President Erdogan of Turkey:

Paul Krugman starts with the image of a confused Trump unsure of what he was doing on the tarmac at Ankara's airport, but he takes it much further, to show how "our erstwhile allies are now treating Trump as the senile uncle who says crazy, outrageous things, but shouldn’t be taken seriously." That's fine, but what isn't fine is that Krugman makes a good case that "Thanks to Trump, the U.S. has seen its global influence plunge." 

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The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the Iran War. From the pinned item at 4:00 am ET: “Iran’s armed forces on Wednesday said that they had attacked U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, after the United States carried out airstrikes against several targets in Iran and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales. The Pentagon said its strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed hostilities put extreme pressure on negotiations between Washington and Tehran for a broader end to the fighting, and again threatened to disrupt the resumption of energy supplies transiting the strategic waterway. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, part of the Iranian military, called the U.S. strikes in Iran’s south an 'overt act of aggression' and warned that Iran would 'deliver a crushing response.' In remarks carried on Iranian state media on Wednesday, it also warned the United States against interfering in Tehran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz. Hours later, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said that it had targeted 85 U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.”

Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: “The ceasefire between Iran and the United States is 'over...,' Donald Trump declared Wednesday..., raising the prospect of major renewed hostilities. 'I think it’s over,' Trump said at a meeting of NATO leaders, the morning after U.S. forces launched over 80 strikes on Iran in response to Iranian attacks on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. 'They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people,' Trump said. 'Far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars … there’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.'” MB: You'll notice that once again Trump is projecting. His insults -- scum, sick, vicious, violent, cuckoo, liar -- sound like a description of himself. ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “Oil prices spiked on Wednesday to the highest level in weeks after ... [Donald] Trump said that the cease-fire with Iran was 'over' amid a series of strikes in the Persian Gulf. The Trump administration also revoked a waiver that allowed Iran to sell oil in retaliation for attacks on tankers this week in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for the world’s energy.”

Jon Gambrell of the AP: “The U.S. military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, part of an American effort that also revoked the Islamic Republic’s ability to openly sell crude oil in the world market. Iran retaliated with strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.” 

The New York Times is liveblogging developments in the NATO summit. From the pinned item at 3:20 am ET: “The second day of NATO’s summit in Turkey was about to kick off on Wednesday as hostilities between the United States and Iran flared, a day after ... [Donald] Trump again said that the alliance’s other members were not paying enough for their own defense or doing enough to support his war in the Middle East. NATO began the meeting on Tuesday with talk of a new devotion to the trans-Atlantic defense industry. But Mr. Trump’s arrival changed the atmosphere, as he expressed his continuing anger at European allies who he believes have not been sufficiently loyal. Many attendees were looking ahead to Mr. Trump’s scheduled news conference on Wednesday afternoon with a mixture of anticipation and dread.

“For NATO, this is an important moment of transition, toward an alliance where the United States does and spends less, and Europe and Canada are pressed to do more for their own defense against an aggressive, militarized Russia.... Mr. Trump is thought to want a success for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. That is only reason, Mr. Trump said, that he bothered to attend at all. But on Tuesday Mr. Trump continued to complain about U.S. allies and repeated his desire to somehow annex Greenland, the territory of a NATO ally, Denmark. He also warned that Europe is harming itself with its policies on immigration and climate. Mr. Trump’s threats were not new, but given the setting, his repeated insults to NATO allies set a combative tone....” ~~~

~~~ The AP's live updates are here. ~~~ 

     ~~~ Marie: There's no reason at all that other world leaders should be "loyal" to Trump. He has never, after all, been "loyal" to NATO. He doesn't even know what it is. Trump's latest complaint is ridiculous; he is irritated because NATO allies didn't help him out in his war of choice in Iran, a war he began without even giving allies a heads-up. Then, when his & Bibi's Iranian "excursion" didn't go well, Trump went crying to NATO allies for help. But NATO is not an alliance to assist one another when one of them launches an unprovoked attack on another nation. It is a defensive treaty -- an agreement to come to the aid of a signatory when some entity attacks it. The only time the NATO treaty has been invoked was after the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. ~~~

Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits. Let's see how hostile they remain when they call up, and they say 'please, please, we want to trade with you, sir.' -- Donald Trump, to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a public meeting ~~~

~~~ The POTUS* Is Completely Insane.  Laura Kayali & Megan Messerly of Politico: “... Donald Trump said Wednesday he was cutting off trade with Spain over defense spending — reviving a long-running feud between Washington and Madrid. 'I didn't speak to Spain. Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,' he told reporters ahead of a meeting with fellow NATO leaders in Ankara. 'By the way, I'd like you to cut it off,' he added, appearing to address U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump's feud with Spain goes back to last year's NATO summit. Madrid was the only ally refusing to endorse NATO's new 2035 target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defense, deeply angering Washington. The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened to respond with tariffs. However, it's unclear how Trump's idea would work as Spain is a member of the EU, which is in charge of trade policy for all of its member countries.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I don't know what Trump means by ordering Bessent to cut off "visits," but I assume he means that no Spanish citizens can visit the U.S. He really is nuts. It will be interesting to see how Bessent deals with this.

Marie: Here's Trump arriving in Ankara. He has trouble walking a straight line. Plus, he gets distracted by the military guard, which stands at attention nearby. Trump turns away to look blankly at the troops. He is clearly confused. Erdogan, like all world leaders who may interact with Trump, knows he is dealing with a demented old man. Erdogan gently takes Trump by the arm and guides him toward the mic where Trump was supposed to say a few words. ~~~ 

     ~~~ In the screenshot here, Trump is turned away from Erdogan & his destination (a few feet away in another direction), staring at the smartly-uniformed Turkish troops. Trump is drawn, as you know, to shiny things & handsome young men. 

Shawn McCreesh & Tyler Pager of the New York Times don't mention Trump's confusion when they assess the effects of his visit to the summit: “The second Mr. Trump landed on his Qatari-gifted jumbo jet, the center of gravity at the summit shifted right to where Mr. Trump likes it best: himself.... Last month, he said he would deign to take the 10-hour flight only because the summit was being hosted by his good friend Mr. Erdogan. Perhaps the most personal drama gripping NATO this week is Mr. Trump’s scrap with Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni — until very recently among the most Trump-aligned leaders in Europe. The president has been picking on her over her refusal to allow her country to be drawn into the war against Iran. Mr. Trump has been all over the front pages of the Italian papers for weeks. 'TRUMP È UN COGLIONE,' screamed the front page of the right-leaning newspaper Libero, using an Italian term of art that has many colorful translations — all of them vulgar. But the feud really crescendoed this weekend, when Mr. Trump posted a doctored picture of Ms. Meloni staring at him longingly with the caption, 'RESTRAINING ORDER NEEDED.'”

When Trump isn't attacking foreign states, he's attacking American states: ~~~

~~~ Trump Sides with Terrorists Against American Voters. Scott Dance, et al., of the New York Times: “The Trump administration is requiring states to change the way they conduct elections or risk losing tens of millions of federal terrorism-prevention funds, in its latest move that would make voting harder and undermine trust in results that don’t go ... [Donald] Trump’s way. The effort would force states to transition to paper ballots, verify citizenship of voters and make other changes to election procedures, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency documents. FEMA, part of the Homeland Security Department, has told states that it would withhold 20 percent of some terrorism-preparedness grants unless they provide 'proof of compliance' with the election security measures, the documents show. The grants, which total $1 billion each year, help pay for physical barriers and other security measures as well as planning and drill exercises and cybersecurity protections.” ~~~

~~~ AND. Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times: “The Justice Department sent letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday threatening criminal prosecution of top election officials if ballots cast by noncitizens were counted in upcoming elections. The letters arrived in the midst of an ongoing campaign by ... [Donald] Trump and his allies to tighten election rules to prevent a problem that doesn’t exist: widespread noncitizen voting in American elections. The effort has, however, continued to sow doubt and distrust in the electoral process, most notably among the president’s base of supporters. And his proposals could have the effect of making it more difficult for eligible voters to cast their ballots — an outcome that many voting-right activists say is the president’s real goal. The letters sent on Tuesday came from Harmeet Dhillon, who runs the Justice Department’s civil rights division.” ~~~

     ~~~ Olivia Rubin, et al., of ABC News: "One election official who received a letter ... told ABC News they found it 'threatening.'" ~~~

~~~ AND. Craig Mauger of the Detroit News: "... Donald Trump's Department of Justice has informed Michigan officials it intends to send election monitors to three cities in the battleground state for the Aug. 4 primary. Letters from the federal department about the plans have mentioned Detroit, Lansing and East Lansing, said two sources.... All three cities are Democratic strongholds.... The letters ... marked an escalation of the Trump administration's bid to scrutinize voting in Michigan. Trump's Department of Justice has already sought a complete copy of Michigan's registered voter list and voting records from Wayne County, where Detroit is located."

Trump Is Wasting More of Your Money on Fake Emergencies. Sarah Balskey, et al., of the Washington Post: “The White House sped up construction of a new helipad and related work in anticipation of an 'upcoming state visit,' requiring crews to work around-the-clock and driving the cost up by $875,000, according to a contractor’s records obtained by The Washington Post. The $13 million project also includes work on the nearby South Portico and an adjacent portion of the White House driveway, which will be retopped with white stone, the contracting records show. Workers have been on-site since last Monday, when construction on the helipad got underway....” (Also linked yesterday.) 

~~~ Arc de Trump, Ctd. Julia Ledur & Dan Diamond of the Washington Post: “... Donald Trump wants to build a towering triumphal arch at Memorial Circle..., arguing that it carries out a century-old congressional vision for the site.... The plan Congress authorized in 1925 called for a new bridge spanning the Potomac River and a pair of columns at its westward side, near where Memorial Circle is today. The bridge was built, but the columns never were.... The Justice Department has also repeatedly argued that Congress’s past support for columns gives them authority to build a structure there now. The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal agency reviewing the project, is set to review and potentially approve the administration’s arch plans in a hearing Thursday.

“But the 166-foot-tall columns that Trump and his deputies cite to press their case differ significantly from the 250-foot-tall monument they plan to construct, which would more dramatically alter pedestrians’ views.... The century-old discussions and plans 'are now being used as some sort of justification for the monumental arch.' Priya Jain, who chairs the historical preservation committee at the Society of Architectural Historians, said last month at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.'But historic renderings and descriptions show clearly how materially different they are.'...” The link is a gift link.  

     ~~~ Marie: In the view above, the columns look pretty stupid, too, but in a McKim, Mead & White sketch that is published with the article, they don't appear to stand out like sore thumbs. Probably what's reasonable is a couple of modest-height columns at the end of the bridge, not those huge columns in the circle. Trump's gigantic arch, as I've said, is an embarrassment.

 After besting the USA team, Belgian soccer team trolls Trump by mimicking his hokey dance move:

Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post: “A dispute among Cabinet officials over who could ride in fighter jets flying over Washington on July Fourth escalated to ... Donald Trump, who gave the go-ahead to acting attorney general Todd Blanche despite prior objections from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.... The spat centered on NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s plans to fly his personal collection of F-5 Tiger II fighter jets as part of Saturday’s nine-hour parade of military aircraft.” MB: I've made this a gift link so you can enjoy laughing at these privileged crybabies. ~~~

~~~ Say, maybe that was Todd's Last Ride. ~~~ 

~~~ Rebecca Beitsch of the Hill: “More than 1,200 former Department of Justice (DOJ) employees encouraged the Senate to reject acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination to take on the role permanently, writing in a Tuesday letter that he has been 'demonizing career employees.' 'In the coming weeks, many will rightly underscore the corruption and abuses that have defined the Justice Department under Todd Blanche’s leadership: the vindictive prosecutions and investigations of the President’s foes; the deals designed to reward lawbreakers with taxpayer dollars; the erasure of accountability for January 6; the mishandling of the Epstein files; and the denigration of judges and repeated violations of their orders,' the former employees wrote in a letter organized by Justice Connection, a DOJ alumni group.... While such letters are common while a nominee is pending, it’s unusual for them to gain such a large number of signatures. The effort comes as Blanche is set to appear for his confirmation hearing next week.” (Also linked yesterday.)

Zachary Small of the New York Times: “In a scathing report by the White House that accuses the Smithsonian of downplaying the role of the country’s founders while pursuing 'extreme political activism,' the historian Anthea M. Hartig is mentioned nearly 230 times. It says she spreads 'radical activist ideology.'... Ms. Hartig, who has been the director of the National Museum of American History since 2019, has commissioned exhibitions that go beyond highlighting the accomplishments of presidents. They document the lived experiences of ordinary people, sometimes focusing on race, sexuality and colonialism. Her work seems to have infuriated the White House.... Many historians have come to her defense, however, arguing that the White House was using its own ideological lens to accuse the Smithsonian of being unpatriotic while presenting things out of context for shock value.” See also Ken W.'s comments yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.) 

Molly Hennessy-Fiske, et al., of the Washington Post: “An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a Mexican immigrant in Houston on Tuesday during an attempted traffic stop arrest, federal authorities said. ICE identified the man as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and said he was in the United States illegally.... 'From information we are receiving, he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,' the agency said in a statement.... ICE’s account of Salgado Araujo’s killing echoed many of the statements the agency quickly issued in other shootings that resulted in fatalities or injuries.... In several instances, however, video evidence and testimony from witnesses contradicted the agency’s initial accounts, establishing that the officers were not in danger and, in some cases, acted as the aggressors.... The incident appears to be the first fatal shooting involving federal immigration agents since U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti were killed in separate incidents in Minneapolis in January during an enforcement surge in that city.” The AP's report is here.

Alan Blinder & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: “The dean of Yale Law School and some members of its faculty are trying to stop a settlement between the university and the Trump administration, warning that an agreement could jeopardize Yale’s independence, according to two people familiar with the deliberations. The dean, Cristina M. Rodríguez, and a group of law school faculty members have quietly lobbied top Yale leaders in recent days, arguing that the Trump administration cannot be trusted and that settling would threaten the rule of law and the university’s reputation. They have even explored whether the law school could be excluded from any settlement with the federal government. So far, Yale’s leaders have continued to move forward with negotiations with the administration.... Yale’s leaders have privately contended that they may need to strike a deal to ensure the university continues to receive federal funding....” The link appears to be a gift link.

On the Other Hand, Trump's & Lutnick's Sons Are Making Millions Off Administrations Deals. Ari Hawkins & Ben Johansen of Politico: “China hawks in Washington are raising alarms that the Trump administration agency tasked with slowing China’s access to advanced U.S. technology is failing at its job. Beijing may have mistakenly accessed thousands of high-end U.S. computer chips due to an oversight by the Trump administration in May of last year. The government hasn’t updated its blacklist of foreign firms barred from receiving American technology in months. Export license applications are piling up without approvals. And rulemaking by the agency is at its slowest pace in two decades, a Politico analysis of federal register rule notices found.”

Ben Binday, et al., of the Washington Post: “Several of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Republican colleagues and allies said on Tuesday that they’ve spoken with him by phone, offering the fullest picture yet of the hospitalized Kentucky Republican’s condition after more than three weeks in which he has not been seen publicly and his office has said little. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) spoke with McConnell on Monday, and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) talked with him Tuesday, their offices said. McConnell ally Scott Jennings said on social media that he, too, had talked with the senator, who remains in the hospital.” Politico has an item here. (Also linked yesterday.)

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Maine Senate Race.  

Shane Goldmacher of the New York Times: “A top official with the Maine Democratic Party said on Tuesday night that Graham Platner’s team had been trying to 'put their thumb on the scale' in the party’s planning for his replacement as the Democratic nominee for Senate, but that he would have 'no role' in the selection process. 'We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our U.S. Senate nominee, nor in determining what this process looks like, Devon Murphy-Anderson, the party’s executive director, said in a video posted on social media. The short video represented a behind-the-scenes look at an extraordinary breach between the Democratic nominee for Senate and the party, which was among the many groups to call for Mr. Platner to step aside on Monday after he was accused of rape by a woman he had dated. Mr. Platner said on Monday that he would 'reflect on the best path forward,' but he told his campaign team in a private call that he hoped to use his leverage as the existing nominee to influence who replaced him.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Maine Democrats should listen to Platner, not to let him bully them into picking his replacement of choice but to get his advice. He obviously knows how to win over Maine voters, and I would say that other candidates do not. Janet Mills, the state's governor, obviously did not. Chris Hayes had the Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on air yesterday. She is hoping to replace Platner; she seems to me to be a decent enough young woman with the charisma, charm and leadership skills of a flea. In 2014, she lost in a landslide to Senator Concerned.^TM ~~~

     ~~~ Mmm, how 'bout Doctor McDreamy? (NYT link) 

~~~ Bayliss Wagner of the New York Times: “Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont urged Graham Platner on Tuesday to withdraw from the Maine Senate race, becoming the most prominent early supporter of the Democratic nominee to push for his departure after a rape accusation. 'I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,' Mr. Sanders said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. 'In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.' Mr. Sanders, a progressive independent who often caucuses with the Democrats, had defended Mr. Platner throughout prior scandals in his campaign.” Politico's story is here. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Amy Brittain, et al., of the Washington Post: “An ex-girlfriend of embattled Senate candidate Graham Platner told The Washington Post that he repeatedly removed protection without her consent when they were having sex. Lyndsey Fifield, who said she dated Platner from 2013 to 2015 in D.C. and has previously accused him of physical abuse, said that she told Platner on multiple occasions that he had to wear condoms during sex because she was not on birth control. 'He would pull condoms off,' she said in an interview. 'He would do it in a sneaky way. He wouldn’t tell me.' In a statement in response to questions about Fifield’s allegation, Platner’s campaign called the claim 'categorically false and politically motivated.' The statement noted Fifield supported now-Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh when he was accused of sexual assault before his confirmation, an allegation he denied.” The link is a gift link. ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So what we know now, ladies, is that sex with Graham Platner is definitely not about you.

Matthew Cooper of the Washington Monthly expounds on the stupidity of Democratic operatives who he says fetishize working-class voters. MB: Much of what Cooper writes is accurate, but this oh-what-to-do? catatonia is all the evidence you need that Cooper, like many Democratic strategists, are clueless and careless. They view politics as a game, and their aim is to win the game. It's so obvious to me that what-to-do is to actually care about optimizing opportunities for ordinary Americans' "pursuit of happiness." If you want to know what-to-do, Bernie Sanders & Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are role models. They aren't fake. Their entire political careers -- one long, one short -- have been dedicated to working for better outcomes for all Americans. (Even for billionaires, IMO. Life is much better if you're not a billionaire.) 

Marisa Kabas: "When someone shows you their Nazi tattoo, believe them." Her essay is more nuanced than that and worth reading. For instance, she points to quite a few Democratic men who equate masculinity with dominance over others. IOKIYAD. MB: As for me, I have no problem supporting a candidate who did something bigoted and stupid 20 years ago -- if there is ample evidence s/he's no longer embracing that sort of attitude & behavior. But rape? Five years ago? Sorry, you can't atone for being a rapist by suddenly espousing populist politics. I'm not much of an expert on addiction, but I suspect Platner is an alcoholic who doesn't just behave badly when he's drunk but who gets drunk for the purpose of behaving badly. 

Polling analyst Elliott Morris argues that "Graham Platner is a bad dude — and data shows he's a bad candidate, too."

MEANWHILE. Hans Nichols & Holly Otterbein of Axios: "Republicans are preparing to welcome a potential Graham Platner replacement in Maine's Senate race with $8 million in negative ads, aiming to introduce a new Democratic nominee to voters on their own terms before Democrats can." ~~~

~~~ Marie: Ironically, what made Platner an attractive candidate was his ability to connect with voters. Now, with all this "stratergizing," the forgotten people are once again the voters.  

New York. Ashley Southall & Mihir Zaveri of the New York Times: “Twenty-one stories above a Midtown Manhattan street on Tuesday morning, construction workers were busy converting an office building into a residential complex when it began falling apart. 'The beams started bending,' said Cliff Johnsen, the business agent for the Local 638 steamfitters union, which had workers on site. Several floors were sagging. The building seemed to be crumbling fast, he said. The workers evacuated the tower, at 235 East 42nd Street, near Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations, and a supervisor called 911, prompting a hurried emergency response. Fearing a partial collapse, officials evacuated nearby buildings and blocked off several nearby streets to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Officials said there were no injuries, but they had seen severe structural damage between the 21st and 26th floors. As a precaution, the city established a 'frozen zone' stretching several blocks, disrupting businesses, stranding tourists and snarling traffic most of the day.”

Texas Senate Race. Paxton Repeatedly Violated Voting Law He Pledged to Prosecute. Zach Despart of the Texas Tribune (and ProPublica): “Two weeks before this year’s primary elections, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the creation of a tip line for the public to report people or groups suspected of voter fraud. '... we will stop at nothing to uncover and stop any illegal voting activity,' Paxton said in a February news release announcing the tip line. The announcement linked to guidance from his office about election laws in Texas, which included a requirement to be a U.S. citizen, a prohibition on collecting mail ballots on behalf of others and a warning that 'it is illegal to misrepresent your residence on election records or to establish a residence for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election.'... 

“Despite his own warnings, Paxton appears to have used an address where he did not live while voting in six elections in the past two years, including in May’s runoff that made him the Republican nominee for U.S. senator, according to records obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. State Sen. Angela Paxton said in a 2025 divorce filing that Paxton, whom she accused of adultery, moved out of their Collin County home a year earlier. But Paxton continues to list the home’s address in the northern Dallas suburb on his voter registration.... Three election lawyers told the news organizations that Paxton may have violated the same Texas laws his office cautioned about in its news release.... Voting in an election when the voter is ineligible is a second-degree felony under Texas law and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.” Emphasis added.

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U.K. Hugh Leask of CNBC: “Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party, announced Tuesday that he will step down from parliament to fight a 'people versus the establishment' special election. Farage — an ally of ... Donald Trump and a high-profile figure in British politics — resigned as a lawmaker amid growing criticism of his financial arrangements. Farage has been subject to an investigation by the U.K. Parliament’s standards commissioner since May, after he failed to declare a £5 million ($6.7 million) gift from Christopher Harborne, a cryptocurrency investor and Reform party donor, before his election to parliament in 2024. At the weekend, The Sunday Times reported that the Reform leader also received financial support from George Cottrell, a political ally who was convicted of wire fraud in the U.S. in 2017. In a statement Tuesday, Farage said parliamentary standards were being used as 'a political tool' against him, adding that the voters of his constituency, Clacton, 'should be the judges.'” MB: Odd, innit?, how all these wingers have such shady, no-good friends. (Also linked yesterday.)