Macron safe after Syria blasts; Platner weighs dropping Senate bid after rape allegation
President Donald Trump heads to Turkey seeking greater NATO defense commitments. But Ukraine and Iran could complicate the talks.
Plus, Maine Democrats face a growing problem. A new rape allegation has their Senate nominee weighing whether to stay in the race.
And after days of controversy, Team USA is heading home. Belgium routs the Americans despite Folarin Balogun’s return.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
Macron safe after explosions hit hotel during Syria visit
French President Emmanuel Macron is safe after what may have been an assassination attempt during his visit to Syria.
Two bombs exploded outside the hotel where Macron had been staying. His office said he had already left to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa when the blasts occurred.
Syrian state TV said the blasts injured 18 people, but so far, no group has claimed responsibility.
Macron is still expected to depart from Damascus to attend the NATO summit in Turkey, which starts Tuesday. Trump is also heading to Ankara, where he’s expected to keep pressing NATO allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense.
NATO, meanwhile, plans to unveil billions of dollars in new military projects as it tries to show Trump that allies are following through on their spending commitments, according to The Associated Press.
At an event dubbed “the big reveal,” several leaders are expected to announce new defense deals — many with U.S. companies. Trump has long argued NATO relies too heavily on the United States, once calling the alliance a “paper tiger.”
Ahead of the summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance is already delivering more military capability.
“After years of underinvestment, we are producing real capabilities,” Rutte said. “European allies and Canada are now on a trajectory to equalize their defense spending with the United States. And not just that, they are taking on more leadership within NATO’s command and control structure, stepping up on conventional defense, on efforts to bolster our deterrence and defense.”
Ukraine is also expected to dominate the summit, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set to meet with Trump on the sidelines.
A U.S. official told Reuters the president wants to renew efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Ships attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran mourns its slain supreme leader
The week-long lull in the Strait of Hormuz appears to be over. Two commercial ships came under attack early Tuesday near the coast of Oman, and one tanker caught fire after being struck by what the British military described as an unknown projectile.
The Wall Street Journal and Axios report U.S. officials believe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired on both.
The attacks come just as the U.S. and Iran’s week-long understanding to avoid military action in the strait has expired.
Iran has not claimed responsibility. It’s also unclear whether the U.S. will respond militarily.
But Trump said Monday Iran needs to reach a peace deal soon, or face the consequences.
“Look, we’re going to win one way or another. We’re either going to make a deal, or we’re going to finish the job, okay?” Trump said. “And it won’t be tough to finish the job. I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to affect 91 million people.”
The attacks also come as peace talks remain on hold while Iran mourns slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Thousands have filled the streets of Tehran as days of funeral processions continue before Khamenei is buried in Mashhad on Thursday.
Iran has warned the U.S. against any military action during the funeral, saying its forces are ready to respond.
Platner says his campaign is weighing next steps following sexual assault allegation
Maine’s highly competitive U.S. Senate race has taken another major turn.
The Democratic nominee Graham Platner is denying a new sexual assault allegation, but he’s also acknowledging the political damage, saying his campaign is now considering its next steps.
A Maine woman told Politico that Platner raped her during an encounter at her home in 2021 after she repeatedly told him to stop.
Platner categorically denies the allegation.
The claim comes just weeks after The New York Times reported that several women described what they called reckless, unsettling or volatile behavior during past relationships with platner.
He denied those allegations as well.
Monday afternoon, Platner released a video saying the new claims are false, but acknowledging they could have major consequences for his campaign.
“Any accusation of nonconsensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said. “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting, but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we are taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
The allegation is already reshaping the race.
The Maine Democratic Party is calling on Platner to withdraw, while national Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Ruben Gallego and Congressman Ro Khanna, have pulled their endorsements.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins called the allegations “appalling,” but said it’s up to Democrats to choose their nominee.
Under Maine law, Democrats can replace Platner on the ballot if he withdraws by July 13.
Man sues DHS over ICE visits, claiming agents targeted him over political speech
What began as an angry email to the head of ICE ended with federal agents at a man’s front door. Now, a new lawsuit asks whether the government crossed a First Amendment line.
David Streever, a U.S. citizen from Rochester, New York, said he sent a scathing email to then-ICE Director Todd Lyons following a deadly ICE shooting in Minnesota earlier this year.
Months later, according to the lawsuit, Homeland Security agents showed up at his home while he was overseas in Finland, leaving his wife a warning notice stating that his email may have violated federal law. Nest camera video captured the agents at the door.
The lawsuit alleges that agents later tracked Streever to a New York City hotel after he returned to the U.S., while he was traveling with his 7-year-old daughter.
On the trip home, he told her they might encounter federal agents. The lawsuit says she broke down in tears, telling her father, “I don’t want them to kill you.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression filed the suit Monday, arguing the government retaliated against protected political speech in violation of the First Amendment.
The Department of Homeland Security disputes this, saying it investigates credible threats against its employees and officers and denies it is trying to silence critics. The lawsuit also cites at least one other woman in upstate New York who says federal agents issued a similar warning after she publicly criticized ICE.
DC pipe bomb case: Judge rejects Jan. 6 pardon argument
Trump’s Jan. 6 clemency applies to about 1,500 people. But a federal judge ruled it does not apply to the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before the Capitol attack.
Brian Cole Jr. faces charges in connection with two pipe bombs found outside the RNC and DNC headquarters in Washington. The devices never detonated, but the FBI has said they were viable.
Cole has pleaded not guilty. His attorneys argued the case should be dismissed because his alleged actions were part of the events surrounding Jan. 6, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali rejected that argument Monday. The judge ruled the pardon applies only to people who had been charged or convicted of Jan. 6-related offenses when it was issued.
Cole had been neither.
The ruling allows the case to move forward. Cole is scheduled to return to court Wednesday for a status hearing.
Americans fall 4-1 to Belgium in World Cup round of 16
The U.S. men’s World Cup run came to an end Monday night.
After days of controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s reinstatement, Belgium delivered the final blow in Seattle. Belgium rolled past the United States 4-to-1 in the round of 16.
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John Todd/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images -
Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images -
Jane Gershovich/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images -
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WASHINGTON D.C., United States – JULY 06: Disappointed United States fans react after watching the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium at the FIFA Fan Zone on the National Mall on July 6, 2026, in Washington, D.C., United States. Belgium defeated USA 4-1 to advance to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. (Photo by Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images
Charles de Ketelaere scored twice as Belgium took control early, capitalizing on a string of U.S. turnovers.
After all the attention surrounding his reinstated red card, Balogun had little impact on the match.
U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino called it “a very bad day,” adding that in the World Cup, one off night is all it takes to end a tournament. It marks the fourth time in the last five World Cups that the U.S. has been eliminated in the round of 16.
Belgium advances to the quarterfinals.
Adding insult to injury, in a clear reference to the FIFA reinstatement of Balogun, the Belgian Red Devils X account posted after the game: “Overturn this “
More from Straight Arrow:
With more prison space than prisoners, correctional facilities are shutting down
The foundations were crumbling beneath some buildings at the Maryland Correctional Institution in Jessup. Others needed new roofs, upgraded electrical systems and other repairs. Fixing the 45-year-old prison would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
So, Maryland officials decided to shut it down. When MCI-J, as the facility is called, closed last week, Maryland became at least the 21st state this century to partly or fully shutter a correctional facility, according to an analysis of state records by the Sentencing Project.
The trend reflects an end to an important chapter of the story of mass incarceration, an era in which drug laws became more punitive, the war on crime mushroomed and the number of people sentenced to time behind bars surged. States poured billions of dollars into new prisons.
Now, the closures reflect a broader shift. Many states have revised sentencing laws and expanded education and job-training programs that help reduce the chances that people return to prison, JC Hendrickson, senior policy strategist for the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, told Straight Arrow.
“States have similarly seen prison populations drop,” he said.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
