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 with attempted murder 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
Billionaire Bill Gates told members of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and that Epstein attempted to use information about his personal life — including that he had been unfaithful in his marriage — to pressure Gates, according to a copy of his opening remarks obtained by CNN. “I never witnessed nor had any indication that Epstein was engaged in ongoing criminal conduct. I never went to his island, his ranch, or his Florida home. I have never victimized anyone. While he may have sought to foster a personal relationship, I was never interested in that and never reciprocated,” Gates said, according to his prepared remarks. “I learned Epstein had become aware of sensitive information about my personal life, including the fact that I had been unfaithful in my marriage. These affairs had nothing to do with my interactions with Epstein, but they were painful for my family.” Gates said he was introduced to Epstein in 2011 and that the late convicted sex offender promised he could raise billions of dollars for global health. “I recall being aware that Epstein had faced prior legal issues, but I did not fully understand the extent of the crimes he committed. I accepted the introduction without applying the scrutiny I should have,” he told lawmakers.
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