NPR News: 07-07-2026 5PM EDT

Ryland Barton· Host0:00

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Ryland Barton. Democratic leaders in Maine and across the country are waiting to hear whether Graham Platner will drop his Senate campaign after he was accused of sexual assault. As Maine Public's Kevin Miller reports, he's al- it's also unclear who would succeed him or how they would be selected.

Kevin Miller0:18

It's been more than 24 hours since Platner announced he was weighing his options, even as he denied accusations that he sexually assaulted a former romantic partner five years ago. But national and state party leaders have already called on him to step aside. And the political fallout seemed complete on Tuesday when his highest profile backer, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, urged him to withdraw. Platner has to do so by next Monday in order for the Maine Democratic Party to place another candidate's name on the fall ballot. But party leaders haven't said how they would choose the person to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins in one of this year's highest profile Senate races. For NPR News, I'm Kevin Miller.

Ryland Barton· Host0:58

NATO leaders are in Turkey's capital for the alliance's annual summit with President Trump among those attending. The last time Turkey hosted a NATO summit was in 2004, and as NPR's Hadiel Al-Shalchi reports, this year it could play a vital role for the alliance.

Hadil Al-Shalchi1:13

Turkey has NATO's second largest military, controls access to the Black Sea through the Turkish Straits, and has acted as a mediator in major conflicts across the Middle East. So this summit is President Erdogan's chance to present Turkey as an indispensable NATO ally, especially after years