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FBI Raided Texas Activist’s House — Then Offered Her $200,000 to Become Antifa Informant In the early morning hours of June 29, federal agents from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security conducted a raid on home in Midlothian, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/07/antifa-informant-raid-texas/? Graham Platner’s Exit From Senate Race Leaves Maine Dems “Hobbled” in Scramble for New Nominee In group chats of progressive activists and political operatives concerned with the state of the Senate race in Maine Wednesday morning, a link to an anonymous Google Doc was making the rounds. It disavowed Graham Platner, the disgraced Democratic nominee whose campaign was throttled by a rape accusation on Monday, and called to replace him with Troy Jackson, a recent gubernatorial contender the document deemed “the one candidate who can hold Platner’s coalition together.” https://theintercept.com/2026/07/08/graham-platner-maine-democrats-senate-replacement/? How Local Cops Are Running With Trump’s NSPM-7 Attacks on Antifa A month after Donald Trump issued an executive order purporting to designate antifa as a domestic terrorist group, an intelligence unit inside the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office in Florida sent out a confidential bulletin. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/07/antifa-terrorist-threat-fbi-police-fusion-centers/? It’s Time for Maine to Ditch Platner — But Not the Politics That Won Over Voters The day Graham Platner became Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee, he spoke behind a podium bearing his indignant campaign slogan: “They don’t know Maine.” But when sexual assault allegations against the candidate broke this week, supporters and political allies in the state were left wondering instead if they ever really knew Platner — and uncertain about what’s next for the movement that rallied around him. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/08/graham-platner-allegations-maine-senate/? It’s Time for Maine to Ditch Platner — But Not the Politics That Won Over Voters The day Graham Platner became Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee, he spoke behind a podium bearing his indignant campaign slogan: “They don’t know Maine.” But when sexual assault allegations against the candidate broke this week, supporters and political allies in the state were left wondering instead if they ever really knew Platner — and uncertain about what’s next for the movement that rallied around him. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/08/graham-platner-allegations-maine-senate/? FIFA Gives Trump Exactly What He Wants President Donald Trump regularly resorts to bluster and threats to get his way — from efforts to overturn election results to campaigning for international prizes — often with little success. But in FIFA, he has finally found a pliant partner to massage his ego and do his bidding. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/06/trump-fifa-world-cup-red-card-infantino/? Why Would Anyone Trust Ex-CIA Agents in Elected Office? The Democratic Party is rife with internal caucuses and factions. There’s the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition, the “Squad,” and so on. But since 2019, when Elissa Slotkin and Abigail Spanberger first took seats in the House of Representatives, the party has had another, more sinister emerging faction: the CIA Spook Caucus. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/08/cia-abigail-spanberger-elissa-slotkin/? Another Trump Ceasefire With Iran Crumbles The Trump administration’s phony ceasefire with Iran is over. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/08/trump-us-iran-ceasefire/?

Make them hear you: Faith leaders say now is the time to talk about a pathway to citizenship Tallahassee faith leaders are pressing Florida politicians to assist Haitian families under temporary protected status facing deportation and laid out a five-part plan encouraging voters to speak up and make immigration a campaign issue. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/08/make-them-hear-you-faith-leaders-say-now-is-the-time-to-talk-about-a-pathway-to-citizenship/? Lawsuit alleges Byron Donalds threatened Collier County school board member in 2022 The Byron Donalds campaign is playing down a lawsuit filed by a Collier County school board member accusing the front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor of Florida of threatening and intimidating her during a confrontation at a Naples grocery store in 2022. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/08/lawsuit-alleges-byron-donalds-threatened-collier-county-school-board-member-in-2022/? Acclaimed Florida developer gets down and dirty fighting over canal In 1985, a book appeared called “Finest Kind: A Celebration of a Florida Fishing Village” by Ben Green. It depicted life in a Manatee County waterfront town named Cortez. Green, a native, bemoaned the forces pushing to change little Cortez to be like everywhere else in Florida. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/09/acclaimed-florida-developer-gets-down-and-dirty-fighting-over-canal/?

Trump’s Kennedy Center Demand Rejected in Humiliating Ruling The president has been fighting to rename the Kennedy Center after himself. President Donald Trump suffered another humiliating courtroom defeat as a federal appeals court refused to block a ruling ordering the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center. In its second rejection of the administration’s request, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said Trump’s lawyers had failed to prove that removing his name would damage fundraising efforts at the iconic performing arts venue, which has faced declining ticket sales and widespread artist cancellations since Trump initiated a MAGA takeover last year. Trump has argued that removing his name from the building’s exterior would cause “irreparable harm” to fundraising. But this week’s ruling said the president’s lawyers had failed to provide any evidence for that claim. The defendants “failed to support this assertion with any specific facts or evidence,” the appeals court said in its ruling. “They offer only the conclusory assertions of the Kennedy Center’s Executive Director that were made in a factually unsupported declaration.” The court also brushed aside a separate argument that the Kennedy Center could be forced to refund donations if Trump’s name was not restored, noting that the claim had never been presented to the lower court. Circuit Judges Robert Wilkins and Patricia Millet, who were both appointed by former president Barack Obama, were joined on the panel considering the appeal by Trump-appointee Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. The legal challenge was brought by Ohio Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty, who serves as an ex officio trustee of the Kennedy Center, which is formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. She said this week’s ruling reaffirms that Trump’s effort to rename the Kennedy Center after himself was “unlawful.” “Today’s ruling again affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename the Kennedy Center were unlawful,” Beatty said. “His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people. Now it is time for the Trump administration to accept this, comply with the law, and take the tarps down,” she added, referring to the large tarps and scaffolding that were installed, obstructing the facade of the building, hours before Trump’s name was due to be removed from the front of the Kennedy Center. Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca said in a court declaration that the lettering displaying Trump’s name had been taken down, but weeks later the building’s facade remains covered by tarps and scaffolding. Judge Casey Cooper, who was appointed by Obama in 2014, has directed the Kennedy Center to justify why its exterior signage remains hidden behind tarps and scaffolding. The order comes after Trump’s name was stripped from both the building and the center’s website under Cooper’s May 29 ruling, which also barred the venue from shutting down for renovations — a decision the Trump administration is expected to appeal. Trump’s handpicked board at the center voted last December to add his name to the prestigious D.C. venue, and fresh signage went up the next day to rename the building “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” But Cooper ordered the name removed in May, on the grounds that Trump had failed to seek congressional approval for the name change. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-kennedy-center-demand-rejected-in-humiliating-ruling/?

Second person in 4 days is fatally shot in Memphis by federal task force member NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A member of a federal crime-fighting task force in Memphis shot and killed a person there on Wednesday, the second fatal shooting by a task force member in four days, and the fourth death involving the unit since it started in September. https://apnews.com/article/memphis-shooting-task-force-federal-eea039cff91552f547359dd4acd32e04?

New attacks raise questions about what comes next in the Iran war WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he believes the ceasefire with Iran is over. He says he’s not sure he wants a deal anymore and says the U.S. should “finish the job.” But he also insists that continued attacks do not mean a return to war or long-term action. https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-war-ceasefire-strikes-c45111ed270afa7dac285016ce07362f?

Inside AP’s on-the-ground reporting of the Russia-Ukraine war   President Donald Trump said Wednesday during the NATO summit in Turkey that the U.S. will give a license to Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems to help counter Russian missile attacks. There have been multiple deadly strikes on Kyiv this week. Today I’m with Susie Blann, our news director for Ukraine, to find out more about AP’s coverage of the conflict. What’s it like for a reporter on the ground in Ukraine when a missile or drone attack begins? It’s a balance between personal safety and covering the news. We have a team on standby and when an attack begins, we take cover but keep in constant contact following developments. We document what we can from where we are and when we think it’s safe to deploy, our teams head out into the field to capture those essential images and witness accounts that show the ongoing impact of Russia’s invasion. The AP has a robust presence on the ground in Ukraine, even as the war there has passed the four-year mark. How has our coverage of the war changed recently? With the world’s attention often focused elsewhere, we concentrate on producing stories that show the war’s impact on Ukrainian society while explaining developments in ways that keep audiences engaged. At the same time, reporting from the front line has become even more dangerous due to the intensity of drone warfare, so a lot of security preparation goes into every deployment. If you want more from Susie, she will be among the AP journalists taking questions at an exclusive AP donor-only event on our war coverage, including what it’s like to interview President Vladimir Putin. If you want to be part of the conversation, make a recurring gift today. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump’s meeting with Zelenskyy Ukrainian drones batter Russian oil facilities, set more oil tankers ablaze WATCH: Midrange drones are reshaping the battlefield for Ukraine

Most American Jews don’t feel supported by either party or President Trump, new AP-NORC poll finds NEW YORK (AP) — Yahm Levin is a diehard Democrat who lives in one of the nation’s most liberal cities. And yet the 39-year-old Jewish woman from Los Angeles is sometimes afraid to use her first or last name when meeting people — even those who share her progressive politics. https://apnews.com/article/poll-jewish-adults-democrat-republican-trump-netanyahu-9114d71c93fad1997ae224e8992b7988?

Judge orders E. Jean Carroll be paid $5.8 million from Trump case A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the writer can collect money held in escrow since a jury found that President Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed her. Trump’s lawyers immediately appealed but were denied an emergency order to block the payment from being made. Read more. What to know: The U.S. Supreme Court recently let the civil verdict stand, clearing the way for the federal judge to release the money. A jury found Trump attacked E. Jean Carroll in 1996 in the dressing room of a luxury Manhattan department store, and defamed her after she described it publicly in a 2019 memoir. Trump called her allegations false. Trump’s lawyers said Wednesday they would continue to appeal and accused his political opponents of using the legal system against him. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump’s plan for a triumphal arch in the nation’s capital is getting another review Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on states to change election practices Judge sets February trial for man charged with planting pipe bombs on the eve of the Capitol riot Family demands an independent probe after ICE officer fatally shoots a man Judges deny request to return Trump’s name to Kennedy Center pending an appeal

July 9, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Graham Platner, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine and a onetime rising star of the progressive movement, suspended his campaign last night under intense pressure after a woman accused him of rape. Platner said in a video address that the allegations against him were false. We’ll get to that below, along with a close look at yesterday’s nominations for the Emmy Awards. But let’s start, as we have so often this year, with Iran. President Trump Doug Mills/The New York Times Are we at war again? You’d be forgiven for thinking so. After Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States responded with new attacks on Iran. And Iran fired missiles and drones at U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. The American military said it hit around 90 targets. Explosions were reported in at least three port cities along Iran’s southeastern coast, according to Iranian state media. The U.S. Central Command called it retaliation for “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews.” Here’s the latest. The return strikes were not, perhaps, surprising. Speaking at the NATO summit in Turkey yesterday, President Trump threatened major new combat operations against Iran, including the seizure of Kharg Island, where Iran stages its oil for world markets, and attacks on the country’s infrastructure and desalination plants. Moreover, he called Iran “scum” and its leaders “cuckoo.” “There’s something wrong with them,” Trump said. “We said, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff,’ and instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships.” (That “funeral stuff,” for what it’s worth, was the funeral cortege for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former supreme leader who was killed at the start of the war in February.) There was much saber rattling, then, and some actual sabering, too. But a return to full-scale war? There isn’t much domestic support for that. That’s even true for some of Trump’s Republican allies, who voted for measures in the House and the Senate to check his power to continue the fight. Also, this war has been bad for business. Oil prices spiked yesterday. The stock market fluctuated. And what’s bad for business in the United States is bad for the electability of the party in charge. The midterm elections are less than four months away. “No one is more aware of that calendar,” David Sanger wrote yesterday, “than the Iranian leadership.” Which may leave us in a gray area, David reports of Trump’s intentions: He could elect to live in a world of neither war nor peace, an era of episodic skirmishes in the Persian Gulf, punctuated by periodic negotiations, with traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-shipping route, greatly reduced from the 130 or so ships that passed through each day before the war. The energy markets would most likely adjust; to some degree they already have. But for a president who promised a quick, cost-free confrontation with an old adversary — “four to six weeks” was the White House prediction in the opening weeks — an ongoing conflict would amount to near-total failure on the mission he initially set out upon. And the price would be staggering: The Pentagon has already asked Congress for about $70 billion to cover the early operations around Iran, and the cost rises every week. I was particularly struck by something a security expert and former aide to John McCain told David about the uncertainty yesterday. “The likeliest outcome is a continuing series of low-level, tit-for-tat attacks,” he said, “followed by frantic diplomacy by mediators, the emergence of a new and fragile cease-fire, and then probably another round of strikes.” He added: “It will be a long oscillation between cold war and low-level hot war.” MORNING READS We’ve made the stories in this section free for you, once you log in. More on Iran: Read David’s analysis of Trump’s unpalatable options in Iran. It’s trenchant. Also, don’t miss Shawn McCreesh and Tyler Pager’s dispatch from Trump’s opening day at the NATO summit. Electric! War in Ukraine: The radioactive region around Chernobyl has become an unlikely wildlife refuge. When Russia occupied the region in early 2022, camera traps there offered a rare glimpse into the ecological effects of warfare, in real time. What a great read! A luxury resort: Jared Kushner wants to make Sazan Island, a former military base in the Adriatic Sea, into a hotel. First he’ll have to do something about the land mines and snakes. Summer fruit: There’s a reason you can get strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries in pretty much any supermarket at any time of year. Julia Moskin, who covers food culture, tells the slightly scary tale of how Driscoll’s, the giant California agribusiness, came to dominate the berry trade. Your pick: The most-clicked link in yesterday’s newsletter was an annotated photograph from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession. THE LATEST NEWS NATO Summit NATO reaffirmed its support for Ukraine and announced new European military spending. Trump said he would let Ukraine make Patriot air defense interceptors. It needs them to stop Russian ballistic missiles. But actually producing them might take years. Trump left the summit on the old Air Force One rather than the new jet Qatar donated. The decision raises questions about the new plane’s security features. Graham Platner In Maine. Ryan David Brown for The New York Times Platner’s bid for the Senate inspired progressive Democrats. But the campaign, which he suspended, was messy, disorganized and ultimately doomed by a steady drip of scandal. Go inside the implosion. Does a claim of sexual assault kill a political career? It largely depends on the candidate’s party. More on Politics Federal agents have now fired on at least 21 people, many in their cars, as part of Trump’s deportation crackdown. Five people, including three U.S. citizens, have died. Kentucky’s governor demanded that Senator Mitch McConnell give an update on his health. McConnell has been hospitalized since June 14. Three more people were charged with misdemeanors at the recently refurbished Reflecting Pool in Washington, accused of peeling and removing bits of paint. In the Courts A former Wisconsin judge convicted of helping an undocumented immigrant evade immigration agents was fined $5,000 but spared prison time. A judge ordered that E. Jean Carroll be paid $5 million after a jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation, and after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s appeal. Around the World Count Binface, real name Jon Harvey, a British novelty political candidate. Temilade Adelaja/Reuters Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s largest populist right-wing party, has resigned his seat in Parliament to run for it again. His only opponent may be a man dressed as a trash can. Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said her country would defend “every inch” of its territory after Trump said again that the United States needed Greenland. Health Lawmakers across the United States want to reduce health insurance companies’ hold on prescription drugs, echoing measures in Arkansas and Tennessee. Insurers are fighting back. Doctors report a rise in internal bleeding in babies as more parents reject a routine vitamin K shot that helps blood clot. LEANING TOWER The New York Times A 37-story office tower in Midtown Manhattan buckled this week, sending people in nearby buildings fleeing as officials warned of a possible “localized collapse.” Inside the building, which is being converted from a corporate office into a residential complex, at least two structural columns appeared to have failed. A review by The Times found that several new floors had been added atop these columns. Click the image above to see our investigation. The latest: Temporary supports have made the building stable, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said yesterday. OPINIONS The Democratic Party keeps trying to satisfy its hunger for enthusiasm with a personality instead of a purpose, the editorial board writes, citing Platner as the latest example. Mainstream Republicans couldn’t save themselves from a Trumpist takeover, Bret Stephens writes. Will democratic socialists hold the Democratic Party hostage too? Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. TODAY’S NUMBER 33 — That is the percentage of adults under 35 who were living with their parents in 2025. One mother, 61, told The Times that she had not expected to be living with her 30-year-old son, but saw a bright side: “I worked so much when he was little so it’s been nice to spend more time together.” WORLD CUP Belgium says it still wants FIFA to explain why it decided to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban. More than 70 European lawmakers have called for an investigation into the soccer governing body’s political neutrality. FIFA upheld the yellow card that a midfielder for France, Michael Olise, incurred against Paraguay. England’s win over Mexico was the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history. More than 44 million people tuned in on Fox or Telemundo. RECIPE OF THE DAY Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times Back in the 1990s it was uncool in some precincts to eat swordfish. There weren’t enough of them. No more. Conservation efforts led to a sustainable fishery, and buttery swordfish steaks are back in vogue. I like mine in the style of Gabrielle Hamilton: as a piccata, the flesh bathed in a pan sauce that works on any number of proteins but most excellently with sword. A bonus: Kids love it. HOMER! The New York Times We’d like to recommend your next great book. (Spoiler: It’s “The Odyssey.”) As our critic A.O. Scott writes, it’s got something for everyone. In the video above, he explains the centuries-old appeal of the story — and which version you should read. Click to play. More on culture “The Pitt” leads the Emmys race with 25 nominations. “Hacks” has 24. Explore all this year’s nominations, along with the snubs and surprises, and then see where you can stream the contenders. In Bangladesh, a long-running photography festival showcased works that reckon with the turmoil of the immediate past. See the images. Late night hosts speculated on the whereabouts of Senator Mitch McConnell. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Geri Allen performs at the Winter Garden in Manhattan in 2007. Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times Take five minutes to fall in love with the jazz pianist Geri Allen. Or skip right ahead and take in her amazing rendition of “Tears of a Clown” on YouTube. Stop fighting with your garden hose, which only wants to kink and fold and crack. The dogged landscapers at Wirecutter have, after years of testing, found the best hose for most of us, along with a reel that keeps it wrapped. Make like the Golden Girls and consider shared housing for an improved old age. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was liturgy. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 9 1877 Wimbledon tournament begins The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an outer-suburb of London. The tournament has since become world-renowned. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1846 U.S. takes San Francisco from Mexico 1990s 1993 Romanov remains identified using DNA Arts & Entertainment 1962 Bob Dylan records “Blowin’ In The Wind” 1918 William Faulkner joins the Royal Air Force Cold War 1960 Soviet Premier Khrushchev and President Eisenhower trade threats over Cuba Crime 1928 A spiteful son kills four in a fit of rage 1996 A family is brutally attacked on a walk in England European History 1762 Catherine the Great assumes power Native American History 2020 Supreme Court rules in McGirt v. Oklahoma U.S. Presidents 1850 President Zachary Taylor dies unexpectedly Vietnam War 1971 United States turns over responsibility for the DMZ World War I 1915 Germans surrender Southwest Africa to Union of South Africa

🔋 1 for the road: EV road trip hope Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios Every so often, Axios Future of Mobility author Joann Muller puts an electric vehicle to the test on a long road trip. Here's how it went this time: My 1,900-mile road trip last week in an EV proved it's easily doable, but the charging experience is still not as seamless and convenient as pumping gas. Why it matters: Driving an EV is delightful. Charging an EV is what gives people anxiety. Until that problem is solved, EV sales in the U.S. will remain lackluster. My husband and I drove from Michigan to New Hampshire and back in a Toyota bZ on loan from the automaker's media test fleet. I wanted to see for myself how the world's largest automaker had upped its EV game after disappointing customers in 2022 with its first model, the bZ4X. (It's way better, with a bigger battery and longer driving range.) The bZ is one of four new Toyota EVs hitting the market this year. 🛣️ The big picture: This was our fourth long road trip in an EV, and they keep getting easier. There are many more fast chargers available now than during my first Michigan-to-Florida trek in 2023, and reliability has improved. And getting access to Tesla's Supercharger network has been a game-changer for non-Tesla owners. Go deeper: Joann's road trip journal.

💰 Charted: America's tax divide Data: Census Bureau. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals America's state governments have split into two camps: those that tax what you earn, and those that tax what you spend, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. Why it matters: States built on income taxes ask more of high earners. States built on consumption taxes ask more of everyday spenders. 🧮 By the numbers: In 2025, 27 states — many in the Sun Belt — relied most on sales and gross receipts taxes, while 21 states, heavily located on the coasts, relied most on income taxes, per an Axios analysis of new Census data. Most sales-dependent: Texas (86.6%), South Dakota (83.1%), Florida (80.3%), Tennessee (79.4%), Washington (74.6%), Nevada (73.9%). Most income-dependent: Oregon (71%), New York (67%), Massachusetts (66.8%), California (61.1%), Connecticut (59.5%). Between the lines: The divide isn't perfectly partisan. Blue Washington is sales-tax-reliant, while purple New Hampshire relies most heavily on corporate income tax (32.9%).

🗣️ OpenAI bets on voice Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios OpenAI is rolling out a new generation of voice models for ChatGPT, aiming to make conversations with its AI sound more natural while routing these queries to its best models, Axios' Madison Mills writes. Why it matters: The company sees this as a step toward a future where voice is the primary way people interact with AI. OpenAI says its smartest voice models yet, GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1 mini, make conversations feel more human by allowing users to interrupt naturally and pause speech without the model cutting them off. 👀 The intrigue: Given the company's push into hardware, the focus on voice could hint at a future device built primarily around voice interaction. Keep reading.

📢 Trump's red scare Data: Roll Call. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios President Trump invoked "communism" 81 times over the past two weeks — a sharp uptick after a trio of left-wing Democrats won primaries in New York. Focus groups run by his team showed the message fires up Trump's base. But it's less effective with independents and younger voters who have no memory of the Cold War. —Reuters

🛢️ Trump shifts to battle for Hormuz Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images The White House is preparing for what could become a multiday or even multiweek exchange of fire with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: A war that began with the goal of degrading Iran's missile capabilities and destroying what remained of its nuclear program has evolved into an open-ended fight over the world's most important energy chokepoint. A U.S. official said the current escalation could last a day or two, a week or a month, depending on whether Iran continues attacking commercial ships in the strait. "We're going to slap them a bit so they understand we're not f*cking around," the U.S. official said. Keep reading.

3 big AI trends collide Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Three AI trends are accelerating and colliding, forcing government, business and investors to rethink strategies in real time, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. AI is getting bigger and better, both here and in China. The U.S. government is scrambling to keep pace by creating a regulatory framework, perhaps with international reach. Both America and China are considering blocking access to their best AI, in recognition of the rising stakes. Why it matters: The explosive rise of truly autonomous agents is forcing Washington and Beijing away from light-touch oversight, transforming the global AI race from a commercial sprint into a national-security standoff. Here's our latest intel on each trend, based on conversations with top AI execs and administration sources, and our team's stress-testing of advanced AI models: 1. Models muscle up: Increases in the capability of the big AI models (led by OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude and Google's Gemini) tend to get covered incrementally by the media. But we've just lived through a transformational few months. Anthropic's Fable and Mythos models — restricted in June for nearly three weeks over security concerns — have set a new standard for the mind-boggling power of frontier AI. Engineers can hand these models entire multimillion-line codebases and walk away for days, trusting agents to rebuild outdated systems, fix their own bugs and test their own work with shockingly little oversight. After a "voluntary" delay due to government consultations, OpenAI came roaring back with Sol — a model early testers describe as a quantum leap in agentic power. Developers have been left slack-jawed by its ability to summon swarms of sub-agents that collaborate, hunt for security flaws and rewrite software at speeds that make previous models feel like dial-up. Elon Musk's SpaceXAI, fresh off its record-breaking IPO and $60 billion acquisition of Cursor, clawed its way back into the AI race yesterday with the release of Grok 4.5 — a model triple the size of its predecessor. Musk says another model nearly twice as large is coming next month, doubling down on a bet that raw scale, not just smarter training, still wins. Meanwhile, China is dominating the open-source race. GLM-5.2, built by Chinese startup Z.ai, is free to download and now performs in the same tier as America's priciest models. Z.ai founder Jie Tang predicted China will achieve a "Fable-class" model before Q1 of 2027. 2. Administration activating: President Trump initially took a laissez-faire approach to AI as a way of keeping America's lead over China. But we've learned that top officials are vigorously debating a much more systemic and prescriptive approach, including protocols for the AI labs to follow before releasing their most powerful models. "The possibilities are wide open," said an outside adviser deeply involved in the conversations. Trump is reluctant to regulate, as is clear from his approach across much of the Executive Branch. But the power of Claude Mythos 5 and Fable 5 has roused many officials to favor a more robust, less ad hoc approach. Restrictions on those models showed the administration's hand: If national security becomes an issue, complying with the government becomes mandatory, as evidenced by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's letters to Anthropic. A U.S. official told us: "The export controls were effective [in] ensuring Anthropic worked with the administration." Mythos, we were told again and again, was a wake-up call that more guardrails are needed. We've learned Trump officials are considering a new governing body for vetting AI, with the possibility of including other nations. 3. U.S., China contemplate controls: Chinese authorities have met with top tech firms over the past month to discuss restricting overseas access to the country's most advanced AI models, Reuters reported this week. When we started asking around about the report, we were surprised to hear the U.S. is kicking around ways to restrict Chinese access to U.S. models, perhaps through export controls. These conversations are very preliminary, with little agreement about what measures could actually work. This isn't just about American competitiveness — national security is at stake. "AI is already deeply integrated into both countries' intelligence and military, which will change the geopolitical competition and the nature of warfare," said an insider who talks with competing factions of the administration. The bottom line: We've entered the Big Phase — big government considering new rules, big AI in a neck-and-neck race for frontier supremacy, and the big global showdown of China vs. USA. Zachary Basu and Andrew Kay contributed.

Bonnie Tyler, who topped the charts with epic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’ has died at 75 https://apnews.com/article/bonnie-tyler-singer-died-11b043ebdb4fa946daa42aad804ce4a1?

Human intelligence largely depends on the processing power of individual brain cells, according to a study out this week. The finding challenges the assumption that humans' superior cognitive abilities (compared with other mammals, like rats) stem primarily from having more brain cells and the vast connections between them. Researchers tasked an artificial intelligence model with learning and reproducing the functions of individual neurons from humans and rats. The experiment revealed that a single human neuron can independently perform tasks, such as distinguishing between images of dogs and cats—abilities previously thought to require the collective activity of several neurons. The researchers believe that a human neuron's unique electrical properties and dense, treelike branches—which collect incoming information—may enhance its computational capacity. Explore the anatomy of a neuron here. Experts say this more granular understanding of human neurons could inspire the development of more complex AI models, which are already modeled after the human brain. (w/video)

Standing around burns calories. On average, a 150-pound person burns 114 calories per hour while standing and doing nothing. James

America's best idea Visitors walking around Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone's Midway Geyser Basin in May. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images America's "best idea" remains one of its most popular — and influential. Stat du jour: The past three years have been among the busiest on record for America's national parks. The National Park Service logged 323 million visits last year — the third-highest total ever, after a record-setting 2024 and 2023. This year could bring another surge as people visit parks for the nation's semiquincentennial. 🏞️ The big picture: America invented the modern national park. Yellowstone, established on March 1, 1872, was the world's first such park, and it inspired other countries to protect their extraordinary landscapes and open them up to everyone — not just royalty or the wealthy. By the numbers: Today, the National Park Service manages 433 sites, including 63 national parks. Every state is home to at least one site, whether it's an expansive park, a monument or an iconic stretch of seashore. California has the most national parks (9), followed by Alaska (8) and Utah (5). 🎥 The intrigue: For many Americans — including several Finish Line readers — visiting all the national parks has become the ultimate bucket list adventure to be completed during a post-college gap year or after retiring. The journey has become a hobby in itself. People choose to mark the accomplishment in all sorts of ways, from decorating water bottles with stickers from each park to blogging and vlogging every stop. 📬 We want to hear from you! Which is your favorite national park and what's the best photo you snapped there? Send 'em to us at finishline@axios.com, and we'll feature them all summer long.

Democrat Graham Platner says he plans to withdraw from Maine Senate race after sexual assault claim Graham Platner said Wednesday that he plans to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine after facing an allegation of sexual assault, shuttering an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy only to implode and imperil Democrats’ attempt to regain power in Washington. https://apnews.com/article/graham-platner-sexual-assault-maine-senate-campaign-a4c732f54ad999abcb73f1854351187f?

❌ Anti-Jeffries caucus grows Hakeem Jeffries' bid for the speakership faces an early test next month as several House candidates who have declined to commit to backing him compete in primaries in Michigan, Missouri and elsewhere. Why it matters: They're not "Never Jeffries," but they aren't "Only Hakeem," either. Every Democrat elected from a safe seat who doesn't commit to backing Jeffries gives the minority leader one more potential holdout to win over before the new Congress convenes. 🗓️ Next up? The Aug. 4 primaries in Michigan and Missouri, where several House candidates who have withheld support for Jeffries will be on the ballot. Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who is running for her old seat, declined to commit to backing Jeffries if she wins during an interview last week, despite voting for him on 19 speaker ballots in 2023. William Lawrence, a progressive candidate in Michigan's 7th District, said in an interview he looks forward to "voting for a Democratic speaker," but "will have to see how it all shakes out. I hope to have an alternative to Jeffries to vote for." 🔎 Zoom in: Several other candidates with August or September primaries told Axios last fall they either won't commit to Jeffries or are outright opposed to him: Donavan McKinney of Michigan, Luke Bronin of Connecticut, Heath Howard of New Hampshire and Patrick Roath of Massachusetts. Two California progressives facing runoffs with Democratic incumbents in November, Angela Gonzales-Torres and Mai Vang, are also in the Jeffries-skeptic column. Elijah Manley, running in Florida's 20th District, has changed his tune after previously opposing Jeffries. He told us last week the Democratic leader "will work with progressives to be the type of wartime leader that we need." ✅ Reality check: Jeffries' colleagues — left and center — widely expect him to become speaker if Democrats win the majority, noting that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) faced similar rancor in 2018 and still secured the gavel. Jeffries himself is sounding confident: "I think I've stood as the Democratic nominee for speaker now a total of 20 times because of dysfunction on the other side of the aisle, and I haven't lost a single Democratic vote yet," he told reporters last week. Yes, but: Even if he secures the gavel, Jeffries is all but certain to face constant headaches from his left flank. 😩 "People are tired of the weakness ... from Democratic party leadership who have lost to [Trump] not once but twice," Lawrence said. If Jeffries wins, "We have to have a pivot point on the question: What are the expectations you have of a Democratic speaker of the House, and how does that correlate to how you ran?" Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb, the Democratic nominee in a safely blue U.S. House seat in Philadelphia, told us. — Andrew Solender

Obamacare premiums surged this year. A new analysis shows it’s likely to happen again in 2027 NEW YORK (AP) — Middle-income Americans straining to pay for Affordable Care Act health insurance are unlikely to get relief next year, according to a new analysis that shows insurers in the marketplace are proposing a second straight year of double-digit premium hikes. https://apnews.com/article/affordable-care-act-obamacare-health-insurance-premiums-a2b6e95cea6555f12b992346245e2a2c?

Judges deny request to return Trump’s name to Kennedy Center pending an appeal A three-judge panel on Wednesday denied a request from the Kennedy Center’s board to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the institution while the board appeals an earlier ruling that dubbed the name change illegal and had it rescinded. https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-name-lawsuit-5ee3073d3df9549fcd27b597df8c1ed4? Former Olympian pleads not guilty in Reflecting Pool damage case after Trump alleged vandalism WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Olympic canoe racer pleaded not guilty on Thursday to deliberately damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a politically charged case that his defense attorneys and other Trump administration critics have derided as an abuse of prosecutorial power. https://apnews.com/article/reflecting-pool-damage-trump-david-hearn-c2f8e1d689d8cd3cd4f9aade65c674ee?