US, Iran trade new strikes; Platner exit upends key Maine Senate race
The U.S. strikes Iran for a second straight night. More than 90 targets have now been struck as President Donald Trump warns Tehran it could get much worse.
Plus, Democrats are back to square one in Maine. Graham Platner drops out amid mounting pressure, forcing the party to replace its nominee in a race that could decide the Senate.
And Kentucky’s governor demands answers from Sen. Mitch McConnell. After nearly three weeks of silence, Andy Beshear says Kentuckians deserve a public update on the senator’s health.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, July 9, 2026.
US and Iran continue to trade strikes, with Tehran targeting Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar
The U.S. and Iran have exchanged new strikes overnight as any hope of reviving the ceasefire continues to fade.
The U.S. Central Command says American forces hit about 90 military targets across Iran overnight, including air defense systems, missile and drone sites, naval assets and other military infrastructure along Iran’s coast.
Iran, meanwhile, targeted several U.S. allies in the Gulf.
In Kuwait, at least one person was injured after the military shot down ten Iranian drones and four missiles. Sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while Qatar also reported strikes.
Iran’s health ministry says two days of U.S. airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded 78 others.
The latest escalation comes after Trump declared the ceasefire effectively over, saying Iran’s attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz ended the truce.
Meanwhile, Iran is wrapping up its days-long farewell to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
His coffin is being taken to his hometown of Mashhad, where he will be buried today.
Graham Platner quits Maine Senate race but denies sexual assault allegations
Democrats are suddenly back to square one in one of the country’s most important Senate races.
Graham Platner suspended his campaign Wednesday night, while continuing to deny allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman he was dating five years ago.
In an emotional 11-minute video, Platner said pressure from Democrats across the country left him with no path forward.
He accused the “political establishment” of forcing him from the race and said party leaders in Washington should not decide who replaces him.
“This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it’s an admission of guilt, and it most certainly is not,” Platner said. “We’re not doing it because of the allegations; we’re doing it because of structures that are being taken away from us by those in power.”
“And I’m not asking for how this process is gonna work. I’m not trying to dictate to anyone who it should be or how we get there, but I will say this: It needs to be open, transparent, and democratic. It needs to reflect the will and the values of the people that built this movement, the people who show up on June 9th. People in D.C. need to stay in D.C. Decisions should not be made by people in places of political power.”
Maine is one of Democrats’ best opportunities to flip a Republican Senate seat, making the search for a new nominee especially urgent as they try to unseat longtime Sen. Susan Collins.
Platner has not yet filed the paperwork to formally withdraw, but he has until Monday at 5 p.m. to do so.
Democrats would then have until July 27 to choose a replacement.
Several names have been floated, but so far only former State Senate President Troy Jackson has filed the paperwork to enter the race.
Beshear presses McConnell publicly, calling for transparency on his health
For the first time since Sen. Mitch McConnell was hospitalized nearly three weeks ago, the governor of Kentucky is publicly asking for answers.
Gov. Andy Beshear sent McConnell a letter Wednesday urging him to update Kentucky residents on his condition, writing, “Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being… And ability to hold office.”
He goes on to ask the senator to “fully update Kentuckians” on his health.
McConnell, who’s 84, has not appeared publicly since being hospitalized on June 14.
His office says he’s improving and continuing to work with staff, but it still has not said why he was rushed to the hospital or when he will return to Washington. Paramedics had gone to his home in D.C. and reported that somebody was unconscious and had gone into cardiac arrest.
The silence since then has fueled weeks of speculation online, prompting several Republican senators this week to say they’ve spoken with McConnell by phone and that he’s alert and engaged.
The questions also carry political stakes.
If McConnell’s Senate seat were to become vacant before his term ends in January, Kentucky law no longer allows the governor to appoint a replacement.
Instead, Beshear, a Democrat, would call a special election.
McConnell has already announced he won’t seek another term, but with the Senate set to return next week, questions about his health and whether he’ll be able to return are only growing.
Court releases Carroll award, rejects Trump’s push to stall $5M judgment
Trump has lost another attempt to keep E. Jean Carroll from collecting the $5 million awarded to her by a jury in her sexual abuse and defamation case.
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the money, plus several years of accrued interest, released to Carroll after the Supreme Court declined last week to hear Trump’s appeal.
Trump’s attorneys asked the judge to hold off while they sought a Supreme Court rehearing, filing a rare petition just hours before the money was scheduled to be released.
Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected the request, ruling the funds should be turned over now. Trump’s legal team immediately appealed that order.
The president has continued to deny Carroll’s allegations and has vowed to keep fighting the case, writing after the Supreme Court’s decision that he would continue the battle against what he called a “weaponization and lawfare case.”
Trump has also asked the Supreme Court to review a separate $83 million defamation judgment Carroll won against him last year.
Trump arch clears first hurdle, federal planners seek changes before final approval
Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot triumphal arch in the nation’s capital is moving forward, but it’s not getting a blank check.
The National Capital Planning Commission is set to take up the project today after staff recommended preliminary approval and called for a series of changes before final sign-off.
One of the biggest issues is height. Staff said the design should comply with federal height limits that help protect Washington’s skyline. They’re also requesting more details on traffic, lighting, stormwater drainage and building materials before the project can move forward.
Trump wants the arch built on a traffic circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge. The administration said the design draws inspiration from a 1925 plan for the area. But that plan called for two 166-foot columns, not a 250-foot arch.
Opponents have argued the project would interrupt the historic view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The White House has not released a price tag for the project.
‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ singer Bonnie Tyler dies at 75
One of rock’s most distinctive voices has gone silent. Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind the classics “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died at the age of 75.
Ironically, the raspy voice that made her famous was never part of the plan. After surgery on her vocal cords in the late 1970s, Tyler was told not to speak, but one frustrated scream permanently changed her voice.
That husky sound would go on to define her career, helping “Total Eclipse of the Heart” reach number one in both the U.S. and the U.K. and become one of the biggest power ballads of the 1980s.
Tyler recorded 18 studio albums, represented the UK at Eurovision in 2013, and was honored by the British government for her contributions to music.
No cause of death has been released.
First ‘Freedom Fuel’ station opens with gas priced at $3.47 a gallon
Next time you’re filling up your vehicle with gas, you might have another option besides regular, premium or diesel. How about Freedom Fuel?
The first gas station in the Trump-backed Freedom Fuel network has opened in Philadelphia, selling regular gas for $3.47 a gallon — a nod to Trump being the nation’s 47th president. That’s about 50 cents below Pennsylvania’s statewide average and part of a White House-backed effort to highlight lower gas prices this summer.
The White House promoted the opening on X, stating: “President Trump is leading the charge to lower gas prices this summer — putting more money in your pocket.”
The rollout, however, has drawn both praise and criticism.
“All I know is that it really, as far as it goes, you can’t beat the price,” resident Herbert Meyers said. “Trump’s the man. I mean, you may not agree with the way he behaves sometimes or what he says. But he’s a businessman. He’s a policymaker. He’s the man. I wish we could have him for four more years.”
Protesters don’t agree.
“My concern about it is clearly the price is subsidized. And I want Americans to be asking, where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50 cents a gallon for people to make President Trump look good? And it also is more indication of how business is getting involved with the trump administration and the serious concerns I have with that,” said protester Tim Kerns.
The White House said Trump has no ownership stake or financial involvement in the company, which operates about two dozen gas stations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gas as of Thursday morning is $3.84. Fuel prices remain in focus as markets continue to watch renewed fighting in Iran.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
