Law, Power, and Justice

Tuesday 7 July 2026

Platner

· Graham Platner is taking a few days to decide whether to bow out of the race for the Senate in Maine. KHis deadline is Monday if the Democratic Party is going to be allowed to replace his name on the ballot.

· Numerous big names in the Democratic Party have come out against him after a new revelation by a woman accusing him of sexual assault. Chuck Schuner, Kristen Gillibrand and Ken Martin (leader of the Democratic Party), even Bernie Sanders finally called for him to withdraw this morning.

· The woman, Jenny Racicot, says that she waited so late to make her accusations because she didn’t like the way in which another accuser was portrayed in the press. The other woman was a Republican, and the most recent accuser, Jenny Racicot, made it clear that she supported Platner’s politics and was not making her charges for political reasons.

· The Democrats have to win in Maine to have any chance of taking the Senate.

· It will be interesting to see who the Democrats turn to if Platner steps down.

· In Michigan recently, three candidates ran in a Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. The traditional Democratic candidate Rep. Haley Stevens and a further left former health director Abdul El-Sayed polled better than the centrist candidate Mallory McMorrow. The centrist lane, therefore, couldn’t poll high enough to remain in the race.

· Note: The Democrats need to make a decision about trying to run centrist candidates who have been highly unsuccessful in recent races leading up to the Mid-Terms.

· It has been reported that the Democratic Party has decided not to just anoint a candidate to take the place of Mcmorrow, but to have some kind of method of choosing a replacement that was more of an outcome chosen by the people rather than put in the race by the party.

· One of the big advantages of the Platner candidacy was his outspoken politics and his position independent of the party leaders.

· John Heiliemann said on Morning Joe that he has a “strong sense” that Platner would drop out.

Article: Goldberg, Michelle (7/6/26) Lessons from the Graham Platner disaster. New York Times.

· Michelle Goldberg, opinion writer for the NYT, characterizes Platner’s race a “shameful catastrophe.”

· Platner has denied the accusation.

· “The Platner campaign represented an electoral insurgency against the Democratic Party; now there are going to be furious recriminations against those who launched it.”

· Goldberg blames Platner most of all for putting everyone in this situation. Goldberg also blames the “progressive operatives who recruited Platner and were so infatuated with his identity.” They failed to do their due diligence. The WSJ reported that his campaign didn’t want to pay for a thorough background check.

· She also blames Chuck Schmer, who wanted to stop Platner and so tried to clear the field for his candidate, Janet Mills, Maine’s 78 year old governor. This cleared the field to that Platner could fill the vacuum.

· Another populist candidate, Dan Kleban, considered running but was made to believe that if he ran, Democrats in Washington would make it difficult for him because they were supporting Mills.

Trump and NATO

· Trump is evidently refusing to continue to provide NATO with essential military equipment that has been provided in the past. NATO therefore is in a quandary about how to proceed within NATO without American leadership and in a situation in which they cannot be sure of American support.

· The refusal to provide this equipment also leaves the NATO European countries more vulnerable to Russian aggression.

Morning Joe

· Joe Scarborough was absent from the program again today. The dreadful Mika was wearing her usual tasteless clothes. This after repeatedly criticizing Scarborough about not wearing a suit and tie on the show.

· It seems evident that there is something wrong with Scarborough. He has conducted several tirades within the past few months that are worse than his usual.

Cuba

· Cuba gets power back after another several-day black out.

· Trump spend most of the weekend carping about “communism.” I cannot but think that this is a lead in to the imminent military attack on Cuba.

· One of the Castro relatives has made an extensive public statement about Cuba.

Charlie Kirk

· With Charlie Kirk’s wife in attendance, the trial of his accused killer has begun.

Russia and Ukraine

· Russia conducted another extensive strike on the Ukrainian capital last night. Ukraine was not able to shoot down as many of the incoming missiles as in the past.

· It is being reported that Zelensky was going to ask for more anti-missile equipment at the NATO summit. The United States has depleted its own resources in its idiotic war against Iran and also is refusing to provide real support to Ukraine.

· Ukraine is moving closer to joining the EU.

· Belarus is evidently trying to figure out which side it wants to be on should the fighting between Ukraine and Russia come to a close.

· The BBC is reporting on Russian torture of prisoners.

· Ukraine has attacked one of the ships of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” and made a strike deep into Russia of their largest refineries.

· The Telegraph is reporting on Putin’s “paranoia” and that he faces a fork.

· U.K. authorities are pursuing scientists developing Novichok.

· BOOK: O’Brien, Phillips (2026) War and Power.

Israel

· There is another article about the proposal of the Trump administration to join the intelligence operations of the U.S. and Israel. This is an unprecedented proposal to unite the intelligence functions of both countries.

· Hamas has dismantled its government, or so it says, but there are other reports that this is only a symbolic move.

· Aljeezera is reporting that the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon is just preparing the way for another war.

· Netanyahu’s party has announced that it will simply ignore a high court directive provoking what is being called a constitutional crisis.

· There is a chickenpox outbreak in Gaza.

· Ben-Gvir has announced he will not vitit the US.

Trump Administration war on Ideology

· The Trump war on the Smithsonian.

Additional:

· Turkey’s elevated position through the relationship between Trump and Erdogan.

· Shooting in Monaco

· Criminal charges against Le Pen

· China sentences a local government official to death.

· Female genital mutilation