These are the top stories for this week.
Headlines
Platner Faces Rape Allegation
Graham Platner said in a video statement he is weighing his candidacy’s future while denying the sexual assault allegation first reported by Politico. Find out More
Trump Casts Doubt on Iran Ceasefire
President Trump said Wednesday he believes the memorandum of understanding with Iran is finished, calling talks “a waste of time” after the U.S. and Iran traded strikes across the Middle East. Read More
Platner Ends Campaign
Graham Platner ended his Senate campaign after rape allegations. Maine Democrats will now hold a convention to pick a new nominee to challenge Republican Susan Collins. Source
Prosecutors plan to play audio clips from interviews with the roommate of the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk. Find out More
A letter from Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, to his transgender lover, in which Robinson wrote that “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it. I don’t know if I will/have succeeded, but I had hoped to make it home to you,” was shown in court. Find out More
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married Friday evening at Madison Square Garden in a closely guarded ceremony officiated by comedian Adam Sandler, with an estimated 1,000 guests, including Paul McCartney, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Selena Gomez. The couple wore custom Christian Dior designs, and billboards outside MSG lit up with “JUST 8 MARRIED” to announce the nuptials to the world. Source
Politics
Graham Platner told his campaign staff he plans to officially file paperwork ending his Senate bid on Monday, the state’s drop-dead deadline, even as he had already announced he was suspending operations. Source
Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called the allegations against Platner “incredibly disturbing” as more endorsements were withdrawn Monday. Read More
A growing wave of democratic socialist primary victories — including 29-year-old Melat Kiros’s defeat of 15-term incumbent Diana DeGette in Colorado, following earlier wins by candidates backed by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani — is poised to create significant turbulence for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’s speakership bid if Democrats retake the House in November. Several of the newly elected progressive candidates have declined to commit to backing Jeffries for Speaker, with at least one crowd chanting “you’re next” when his photo appeared on screen at an election-night party. Source
President Trump granted clemency to 11 people on Friday, including nine individuals convicted of violating the federal Clean Air Act, whom Trump described as people who were simply “fixing their car” by using illegal engine defeat devices. The pardons are the latest in a string of pre-holiday clemency actions that have drawn criticism from environmental groups and some Republicans. Read More
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s exit from the Senate primary set up a two-way contest between establishment and progressive Democrats ahead of the state’s August primary. See Details
The Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party says Graham Platner’s campaign has tried to influence who the party would pick as his replacement if he drops out of the race. Platner is facing rape allegations made by an ex-girlfriend. Source
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Maine Democratic Party leaders urged Senate nominee Graham Platner to withdraw after a woman accused him of sexual assault; Platner denies the allegation. Read More
In his rain-delayed National Mall address Saturday night, President Trump repeatedly slammed communism, praised American military might and Christian heritage, and used the 250th anniversary celebration to again push passage of the SAVE America Act voter ID bill — a move that has generated friction with congressional allies who say the legislation is effectively dead in the Senate. Trump called for an end to mail-in ballots and claimed that elections have been plagued by fraud. See Details
U.S. News
New York officials evacuated a Manhattan office building after structural columns began buckling, warning of a possible localized collapse. Source
A flight school pilot was forced to land a plane by himself after his instructor jumped out of the aircraft and jumped to his death mid-flight. Read More
U.S. Olympic canoeist David “Davey” Hearn pleaded not guilty to charges he damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which began peeling shortly after its spring renovation. Source
A historic multi-day heat wave gripped the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through the Fourth of July holiday, with Washington, D.C., hitting 102 degrees — the hottest July 4 on record — and Philadelphia and New York City near 100 degrees. DC’s Fire and EMS treated 51 people for heat-related ailments at the Freedom 250 celebration alone, with 12 transported to hospitals, and Con Edison crews worked to restore service to tens of thousands affected by power outages in the Bronx and Queens. Find out More
Former Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 but avoided prison on Wednesday for ushering a defendant out of her courtroom to evade ICE agents in April 2025, with a federal judge citing her “otherwise law-abiding life.” Source
Nearly 700 cyclosporiasis cases have been confirmed in Michigan as of July 6, roughly 13.5 times the state’s typical annual total, health officials said. Read More
Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is expected to face a misdemeanor charge after he struck a parked car in Napa County, California, on Saturday and drove away from the scene, according to law enforcement sources. The incident comes roughly two years after Pelosi was seriously injured in a hammer attack at his San Francisco home. See Details
More than 700 people across the U.S. have been infected with cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness causing severe gastrointestinal symptoms, with health officials investigating fresh produce as a possible source amid a sharper-than-usual summer uptick. Find out More
Federal prosecutors charged a lawful permanent resident of Australia with illegally voting in the 2022 and 2024 elections. Find out More
Business
Apple announced a multiyear, $30 billion-plus agreement with Broadcom to design and manufacture custom chips domestically, aiming to produce more than 15 billion chips in the U.S. and support hundreds of American jobs at an expanded Colorado facility. Find out More
Walmart and Sam’s Club announced summer price cuts on groceries and household goods on Monday; Trump claimed credit, though Walmart’s statement made no mention of the administration. Source
President Trump rang the NYSE and Nasdaq opening bells from the Oval Office on Monday to launch “Trump Accounts,” tax-advantaged savings accounts for children, with over 500,000 already opened. Find out More
South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix is set to price a roughly $28 billion Nasdaq share sale this week, an offering that would rank among the largest in history and serve as a key test of investor appetite for memory-chip stocks. Source
Costco discontinued the sale of Kirkland Signature Helles Lager and Kirkland Signature Vintage Ale, two popular items, in a move that stunned customers. Read More
World News
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, marked America’s 250th birthday from Lampedusa, the Italian island at the center of the European migration crisis, urging the U.S. and Europe to welcome immigrants and honoring migrants who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean. He accepted the 2026 Liberty Medal virtually from the Vatican before departing for the island visit, offering a pointed contrast to President Trump’s restrictive immigration policies. Find out More
Explosions struck near the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Syria. Source
China test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear submarine in the South Pacific, drawing regional protest. Source
A deadly wildfire in Spain killed 11, and 19 more are reported missing. Find out More
Entertainment
WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett, who has known Taylor Swift since she babysat his kids in Tennessee, said Swift and Travis Kelce’s kids will hit the “genetic lottery.” See Details
A producer working on a biopic of President Reagan alleged their company lost banking services amid production, according to a New York Post report. Source
AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron posted an unusually detailed account of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding on social media Saturday, describing a venue transformed into a “luxury countryside retreat” with peach-and-white décor, large photo displays of the couple from infancy through their teens, and vows he called “long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing” — before deleting the post, apparently realizing he’d violated the couple’s strict NDAs. The post nonetheless spread widely, giving Swifties a rare, unfiltered inside look at the event of the year. Source
Early reviewers called Nolan’s “The Odyssey” an “astonishing achievement,” with praise for the ensemble cast, including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway. Read More
Tracking services estimate Disney’s live-action “Moana,” starring Dwayne Johnson, will open to just $60-65 million domestically — barely above the 2016 animated original — despite a hefty $250 million production budget. Read More
Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers are emerging as the favorite to sign LeBron James. This would be James’ third stint with his home state team. Source
Argentina overcame a two-goal deficit to advance, with star Lionel Messi netting the equalizer in a miracle comeback as Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 before a stoppage-time winner sealed the defending champions’ advancement to the World Cup Quarterfinals, where they will take on Switzerland. Read More
A post-match confrontation between Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé and Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who threw a ball at Mbappé as the French forward walked past him after France’s 1-0 victory Saturday, has gone viral and drawn worldwide attention to the physical and heated nature of the World Cup Round of 16 match in Philadelphia. Gill, who made multiple outstanding saves late in the game, said he “lost his temper” when Mbappé didn’t acknowledge his attempt at a handshake. Source
Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed after Portugal’s elimination that the 2026 tournament was his final World Cup, capping a record six-tournament career for the 41-year-old. Find out More
Injury replacements shook up the National League pitching staff ahead of next week’s Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia, as star pitchers Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers will miss the Midsummer Classic. Find out More
The New York Yankees made history by recording 17 strikeouts in consecutive games against the Tampa Bay Rays. See Details
The jersey that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson wore in Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set to sell at auction for over $1 million. See Details
A former Bucknell University strength coach was charged Monday in the 2024 death of a freshman football player who collapsed during an extreme conditioning drill. Read More
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani left Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates early after experiencing discomfort in his knee and hamstring, raising concern among fans and team officials just as he was in contention for the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and designated hitter. The Dodgers have not yet announced the severity of the issue or a timeline for his return. See Details
Controversial San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk may never play again after announcing he would refuse to do business with the team going forward. Source
Off the Wall
Ole Miss pulled a baseball scholarship from Epswroth, Iowa, native Brett Harris one month before school started. Ole Miss promised the scholarship to Harris four years ago as Harris battled a cancerous brain tumor. Source
Seven decades after Walt Disney cut the ribbon at his original California park in 1955, Disneyland welcomed its one-billionth guest during anniversary celebrations this week, a milestone that underscores the enduring magic of the “Happiest Place on Earth” as a multigenerational American institution. The park, which has outlasted countless trends, recessions, and pandemics, celebrated the moment with a special ceremony for the landmark visitor. Source
Kelsey Pfendler became the first American woman to row solo across the mid-Pacific, completing the 2,400-mile journey from Monterey to Honolulu in just under 44 days. Source
Christopher Peden, 36, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, allegedly chopped off his own penis, doused it in gasoline, and used it to start a fire inside his neighbor’s garage. Find out More
