\n<\/p>\n
Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.<\/p>\n
The fight to replace Graham Platner is already under way as Bernie Sanders became the latest key figure to call for the scandal-hit Democratic nominee to step down.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, called on Graham Platner to withdraw from the US Senate race in Maine, citing \u201cvery serious allegations\u201d of sexual assault, hours before the embattled nominee faced another claim of sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n \u201cI have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,\u201d Sanders said in a statement on Tuesday. \u201cIn light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.\u201d<\/p>\n While Platner has denied the latest allegations, reported by Politico, and later by the Washington Post, the initial report prompted a wave of prominent Democrats to urge him to stand aside as the party\u2019s nominee in the consequential Senate contest.<\/p>\n However by Tuesday night, executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a video saying the party is developing an \u201copen, inclusive, transparent and fair\u201d process but won\u2019t disclose details until Platner formally withdraws. Platner\u2019s team has repeatedly tried to \u201cput their thumb on the scale,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner\u2019s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the US Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In the Politico report, published on Monday, Jenny Racicot, 41, who previously dated Platner, said he forced her to have sex despite repeated objections. Racicot <\/strong>said the incident, which she described to CNN as rape<\/a>, happened five years ago while Platner was heavily intoxicated. Platner has denied the allegations.<\/p>\n Read our full story here:<\/p>\n In other developments:<\/p>\n Donald Trump has revived his bid for the US to acquire Greenland<\/strong>, threatening to pull all American armed forces out of Europe after the continent repeatedly pushed back. Arriving at the Nato summit in Ankara, the US president also suggested his commitment to defending Europe had been tempered by political decisions by leaders on immigration and energy. More here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A federal appeals panel struck down a significant chunk of Ron DeSantis\u2019s so-called Stop Woke Act<\/strong>, delivering another rebuff to the Republican Florida governor\u2019s efforts to stifle free speech in higher education. Judges of the 11th circuit court of appeal said that the higher education component of the law \u2013 which prevented college and university professors teaching or sharing thoughts on concepts of race and gender \u2013 breached the free expression rights guaranteed under the US constitution\u2019s first amendment. More here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ninety-five per cent of Americans believe the US is suffering an affordability crisis<\/strong>, as many report trouble with the rising cost of groceries and gas, according to an exclusive new poll conducted for the Guardian. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, paints a bleak picture of how people feel about the US economy amid the war in Iran and ahead of the key midterm elections this fall. More here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.28 EDT<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As we noted earlier, the Maine Democratic Party have said that Graham Platner\u2019s team has repeatedly tried to \u201cput their thumb on the scale,\u201d when it comes to the process of selecting a new nominee<\/strong>, should the beleaguered veteran end his bid for Senate as expected.<\/p>\n State senator Joe Baldacci<\/strong>, who lost the Democratic primary for Maine\u2019s second congressional district, blasted Platner for attempting to influence the selection of his replacement. \u201cGuess what after you have put the Democratic Party in a shambles and undermined all Democratic candidates running for office in Maine, then you should have no say in who will be your successor,\u201d Baldacci wrote<\/a> this week, after a woman accused Platner of sexual assault. Shortly after his campaign began to collapse and he lost key endorsement<\/p>\n Baldacci added that any alternative candidate with a close tie to Platner would be carrying \u201ca lead weight\u201d into the general election.<\/p>\n ShareDan Sabbagh<\/span><\/p>\n Nato sources are briefing that Trump \u201cdid not lash out\u201d in this morning\u2019s closed doors meeting of alliance leaders<\/strong> \u2013 in contrast to his public outburst when he met secretary general Mark Rutte<\/strong> this morning.<\/p>\n The question is whether Rutte, or somebody, told Trump to calm down between his first press point and the leaders meeting.<\/strong> And whether that second more harmonious mood will hold.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Joseph Geevarghese, the executive director of Our Revolution \u2013 the progressive organization founded by Bernie Sanders \u2013 told the Guardian in an interview that the latest allegation against Graham Platner is \u201cdeeply disappointing for all of the grassroots supporters\u201d who placed \u201ca lot of faith\u201d in the Democratic nominee.<\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to whether the vetting process for Platner was sufficient Geevarghese said it was up to leaders to be \u201cfully transparent\u201d in an age when it\u2019s \u201cvery difficult to keep things dark\u201d.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cYou can do as many Google searches as you want, but it\u2019s really up to the candidate to be honest and forthcoming about what\u2019s in their background.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Geevarghese noted that he wished these issues were \u201caired earlier\u201d so that Maine voters could have the chance to evaluate their choices with \u201call the facts\u201d.<\/p>\n While the scandal around Platner has \u201ctaken on a life of its own\u201d, Geevarghese said that Troy Jackson<\/strong> \u2013 a fifth-generation logger and former state lawmaker \u2013 was best placed to replace Platner on the general election ballot. Supporters and allies of Jackson launched a \u201cDraft Troy\u201d campaign-style video this week. But there is concern that Jackson, who came third in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, could face pushback for his support of Platner and campaigning alongside him.<\/p>\n Geevarghese, however, remained undeterred. \u201cI think Troy stands on his own two feet. He\u2019s his own candidate, he has his own track record over time, he\u2019s a known commodity in Maine politics,\u201d<\/strong> he said. \u201cHe [Jackson] did not ride Graham Plattner\u2019s coattails.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Donald Trump is due to speak with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Nato summit in Ankara today.<\/strong> The press pool traveling with the president say that meeting is running about an hour behind, but my colleagues on our Europe live blog are covering the latest.<\/p>\n A senior US official tells the Guardian that the US president will make a renewed push to end the war in Ukraine. \u201cThe president feels a real sense of \u200curgency to try to bring this to a stop,\u201d the official said, noting that Trump would also urge Nato allies to increase their defense spending.<\/p>\n This comes off the back of Russian \u2060missile \u200battack early on Monday that killed at least 21 people in Ukraine. <\/strong><\/p>\n Follow along: <\/em><\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Tom Perkins<\/span><\/p>\n The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected a legal petition demanding it set limits on toxic Pfas \u201cforever chemicals\u201d in food, marking another setback for public health advocates\u2019 push to limit exposures to the dangerous compounds.<\/strong><\/p>\n The agency is refusing to set limits despite a growing body of science and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finding food is the biggest source of Pfas exposure. Testing has found the levels of Pfas in single servings of some contaminated foods to be equivalent to drinking many glasses of contaminated water.<\/p>\n While regulators have focused on reining in Pfas in water, the chemicals are widely used throughout the food system, and there was hope that the agency under Robert F Kennedy Jr would take the threat more seriously. Kennedy leads the \u201cmake America healthy again\u201d (Maha) movement, of which eliminating toxic chemicals from food is a cornerstone.<\/p>\n The FDA\u2019s decision is \u201cdisappointing\u201d, said Sandra Daussin, an attorney for the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force (TEJTF), which in November 2023 filed the legal petition. The group is planning to sue and ask a court to order the FDA to set thresholds.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s important enough to regulate in water then we need to regulate it in food \u2013 that\u2019s a no-brainer,\u201d Daussin said.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Donald Trump lashed out at Nato allies at a summit in Ankara, as the fallout from his war with Iran threatened to overshadow the key gathering.<\/strong><\/p>\n With tensions peaking after an overnight flareup between US and Iranian forces, Trump declared the Iran ceasefire was \u201cover\u201d, then took aim at Nato allies who failed to back his campaign against Tehran.<\/p>\n And he insisted he still wanted Greenland, calling European resistance to his stance a \u201cbig problem\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very upset with Nato… because of what they did with Greenland, and… because of the fact that they didn\u2019t want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terror, that\u2019s Iran,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Trump singled out Spain for particular criticism calling it a \u201cterrible partner in Nato\u201d. \u201cSpain is a wasted cause. We don\u2019t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,\u201d he said, dragging up a bitter row that also touches on Madrid\u2019s defence spending, urging his treasury secretary Scott Bessent to \u201ccut it off\u201d.<\/p>\n And he raked up more sensitive territory by reiterating his desire for NATO member Denmark\u2019s territory of Greenland.<\/p>\n \u201cGreenland is a big problem for us,\u201d he told reporters, saying it was \u201cvery important for the United States, but it\u2019s not important for Denmark. We need it for protection of the world, not just the United States… it doesn\u2019t help Denmark but it helps us.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n President Donald Trump has sharply escalated his warnings about a \u201ccommunist takeover\u201d of the \u2060Democratic party ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections as his political team tests whether the message can resonate beyond his core supporters.<\/strong><\/p>\n Preliminary findings from his team\u2019s focus groups suggest the message strongly energizes Trump\u2019s base and could boost turnout among infrequent Republican voters, according to two people familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n But it \u2060appears less effective with independents \u2013 often decisive in \u2060closely fought contests \u2013 and younger voters who \u200bdid not live through the Cold War.<\/p>\n The success of democratic socialists and other progressive candidates in Democratic primaries in Colorado, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Texas and elsewhere has given Trump and his fellow Republicans a fresh line of attack: portraying Democrats as extreme rather than defending Trump\u2019s record on \u2060tackling the high cost of living.<\/p>\n A Reuters analysis of Trump\u2019s public comments from 23 June to 6 July – when a string of left-wing Democratic candidates won their party\u2019s primaries in New York – found he invoked communism 81 times, including calling some of the victorious candidates \u201chardcore, godless communists\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n David Smith<\/span><\/p>\n Republican leaders have moved to quash speculation about Mitch McConnell, the former Republican leader in the US Senate, amid a growing revolt over the lack of transparency around his health.<\/strong><\/p>\n The 84-year-old Kentucky politician, who led Senate Republicans for longer than anyone in history before stepping down last year, was admitted to hospital<\/a> on 14 June but his office declined to say what he was being treated for.<\/p>\n The secrecy led to a backlash from Donald Trump\u2019s support base, with some claiming that McConnell\u2019s condition is graver than acknowledged and accusing his office of a cover-up.<\/p>\n On Tuesday, John Thune<\/a>, McConnell\u2019s successor as Republican leader, sought to quell the anger by claiming that he had spoken by phone with McConnell on Monday. A Thune spokesperson said: \u201cThey had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security.\u201d<\/p>\n Senate Republican whip John Barrasso<\/a> also weighed in. Kate Noyes, a spokesperson for the Wyoming senator, said on Tuesday: \u201cSenator Barrasso and Senator McConnell had a lengthy conversation early this afternoon. Their phone call lasted roughly 20 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.<\/p>\n The fight to replace Graham Platner is already under way as Bernie Sanders became the latest key figure to call for the scandal-hit Democratic nominee to step down.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, called on Graham Platner to withdraw from the US Senate race in Maine, citing \u201cvery serious allegations\u201d of sexual assault, hours before the embattled nominee faced another claim of sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n \u201cI have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine,\u201d Sanders said in a statement on Tuesday. \u201cIn light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.\u201d<\/p>\n While Platner has denied the latest allegations, reported by Politico, and later by the Washington Post, the initial report prompted a wave of prominent Democrats to urge him to stand aside as the party\u2019s nominee in the consequential Senate contest.<\/p>\n However by Tuesday night, executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson released a video saying the party is developing an \u201copen, inclusive, transparent and fair\u201d process but won\u2019t disclose details until Platner formally withdraws. Platner\u2019s team has repeatedly tried to \u201cput their thumb on the scale,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner\u2019s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the US Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n In the Politico report, published on Monday, Jenny Racicot, 41, who previously dated Platner, said he forced her to have sex despite repeated objections. Racicot <\/strong>said the incident, which she described to CNN as rape<\/a>, happened five years ago while Platner was heavily intoxicated. Platner has denied the allegations.<\/p>\n Read our full story here:<\/p>\n In other developments:<\/p>\n Donald Trump has revived his bid for the US to acquire Greenland<\/strong>, threatening to pull all American armed forces out of Europe after the continent repeatedly pushed back. Arriving at the Nato summit in Ankara, the US president also suggested his commitment to defending Europe had been tempered by political decisions by leaders on immigration and energy. More here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A federal appeals panel struck down a significant chunk of Ron DeSantis\u2019s so-called Stop Woke Act<\/strong>, delivering another rebuff to the Republican Florida governor\u2019s efforts to stifle free speech in higher education. Judges of the 11th circuit court of appeal said that the higher education component of the law \u2013 which prevented college and university professors teaching or sharing thoughts on concepts of race and gender \u2013 breached the free expression rights guaranteed under the US constitution\u2019s first amendment. More here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ninety-five per cent of Americans believe the US is suffering an affordability crisis<\/strong>, as many report trouble with the rising cost of groceries and gas, according to an exclusive new poll conducted for the Guardian. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, paints a bleak picture of how people feel about the US economy amid the war in Iran and ahead of the key midterm elections this fall. More here.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.28 EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Succession fight already under way as calls grow for Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. The fight to replace Graham Platner is already under way as Bernie Sanders became the latest key figure to call for the scandal-hit Democratic nominee to step down. Sanders, 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NEWS<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Succession fight already under way as calls grow for Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. The fight to replace Graham Platner is already under way as Bernie Sanders became the latest key figure to call for the scandal-hit Democratic nominee to step down. Sanders,…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34325"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34327,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34325\/revisions\/34327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Republican leaders seek to quell Mitch McConnell speculation as rebellion grows<\/h2>\n
Succession fight already under way as calls grow for Platner to drop out of Maine Senate race<\/h2>\n
\n