Graham Platner was all but certain to win Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday. But the swirl of controversies over Platner’s past personal behavior had raised a slew of questions about the outcome: Would there be a significant number of protest votes lodged for Gov. Janet Mills, whose name was still on the ballot even though she suspended her campaign in April? Would Democratic voters skip the race entirely? None of that came to pass. With votes still being counted Tuesday night, the progressive populist Platner was on course to earn about three-fourths of primary voters’ support — effectively ending any question about whether Maine Democrats wanted him to be their standard-bearer against Republican Sen. Susan Collins in one of the nation’s marquee races in November.
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Masked rioters torched homes and vehicles in a wave of anti-immigrant violence in Northern Ireland on Tuesday night after a Sudanese man was charged following a knife attack that Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned as “horrific.” Crowds gathered in various parts of Belfast, setting houses, a bus, cars and barricades on fire and forcing several families to flee their homes. Politicians said the rioters had targeted the homes of ethnic minorities. A local pastor, Jack McKee, told the BBC some members of his church “who have been with us for 20 years” were “getting put out of their home, had their house attacked, windows smashed, houses beside them burned.” “They’re getting put out just because they’re Black,” he said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/09/europe/northern-ireland-knife-attack-belfast-intl
It’s World Cup season, folks, which means a summer spent watching the very best players on the planet. For those who follow the sport of soccer (yes, we are calling it that despite it being known as football around the world), you know exactly what to expect. Undiluted drama, pure cinema and narratives that even the best scriptwriters in Hollywood would struggle to muster up. But this isn’t just a World Cup for your initiated soccer fan, this is a chance for everyone to fall in love with the world’s game. To do that, you need to understand the basics. Trust me, I know. I spent my first year at CNN trying to understand what March Madness was… I’m still not totally sure I understand it either, despite my colleague Dana O’Neil’s attempts to explain it.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/08/sport/world-cup-what-you-need-to-know
Bill Gates is testifying behind closed doors on Capitol Hill Wednesday after the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files this year raised questions about the billionaire’s ties to the late convicted sex offender — marking one of the most high-profile appearances before congressional investigators to date. The House Oversight Committee sought Gates’ voluntary cooperation after a tranche of documents released by the Department of Justice revealed a series of graphic, unverified allegations, as well as a degree of philanthropic coordination between Gates and Epstein that was more detailed than previously known. Marking the committee’s 15th interview, Gates is expected to face questions from Republicans and Democrats alike about the extent of his relationship with the late financier. Gates is among the many powerful figures in Epstein’s orbit — from Howard Lutnick to Bill Clinton—– who have appeared in video or photos released by the Justice Department from its case files.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/10/politics/bill-gates-epstein-house-oversight
Annual inflation rose to a three-year-high of 4.2% in May, underscoring how elevated energy prices are rippling through the US economy, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose 0.5% on a monthly basis, driven higher by the US-Israeli war with Iran, the latest Consumer Price Index shows. The higher cost of energy accounted for 60% of the monthly increase. Overall food prices and grocery prices didn’t rise as fast as they did in April, increasing 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively, versus 0.5% and 0.7%.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/10/economy/us-cpi-consumer-inflation-may