5 Big News Stories Overnight - Thursday, July 9, 2026

Platner Out

Politico reports:

Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner ended his campaign on Wednesday after facing a detailed allegation of sexual assault, an astounding and rapid fall for the progressive oysterman whose meteoric rise and grassroots support helped him overcome establishment opposition to secure his party’s nomination.

But a persistent accumulation of controversies weighed on Platner’s campaign for months, and Monday marked a turning point: Democratic leadership, many of Platner’s staunchest progressive backers and key groups who had been helping fund his bid withdrew their support of Platner and pressured him to drop out after POLITICO reported a new allegation of sexual assault.

Judge Orders Trump to Pay E. Jean Carroll $5 Million Damage Award

WSJ reports:

A New York federal judge on Wednesday ordered President Trump to pay the $5 million in damages a jury awarded to the writer E. Jean Carroll after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal of the defamation and sexual-abuse verdict.

After the appeal was rejected, Carroll’s lawyers said there was no further reason to delay paying the money she was owed. They asked a district court to order the immediate disbursement of $5 million in damages, which had been set aside in a court-supervised account, and nearly $800,000 in interest that had accrued.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan granted Carroll’s request Wednesday for the damages plus interest. Kaplan said in a written order that Trump “has been stalling this case for years.” He added that an appeals court had already upheld the judgment and that attempts to seek further review had failed. In the “highly unlikely event” the award is thrown out in the future, Kaplan added, Trump could sue to get his money back.

“It is time for him to ‘do equity’ and pay the judgment,” Kaplan wrote. 

Trump’s lawyers quickly notified the court that they would appeal.

Sirens in Bahrain, Kuwait after US’s deadly attacks on Iran

Al Jazeera reports:

Air raid sirens blare in Bahrain as Kuwait reports “hostile missile and drone” attacks after US bombs Iran for a second consecutive night.

Explosions have been reported in Iranian cities along the Strait of Hormuz, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, and Abu Musa Island. At least one person is killed in Iranshahr.

US President Donald Trump says the attacks are in “retribution” for alleged Iranian attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be buried in his hometown of Mashhad today, after millions of people attended funeral processions in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.

Security Precaution Led Trump to Use Old Air Force One in Leaving Turkey

The New York Times reports:

President Trump flew out of Turkey on Wednesday night on the old Air Force One instead of his new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 as a security precaution related to the resumption of hostilities with Iran, according to people briefed on the plans, who said the change came at the urging of the Secret Service.

The swap deepens questions about whether the new plane, which the president had pressed to be ready as soon as possible, was retrofitted with sufficient security measures over the last year. Lawmakers and some officials have raised concerns about whether the expedited timeline allowed for the addition of an advanced missile defense system and other modifications used to protect the president.

In a statement, Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, said that “the new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the president and his staff.”

North Korea Supplies Up to 40% of Russia's Artillery Shells, Ukrainian Intel Says

Kyiv Post reports:

North Korea has become one of Russia’s most important foreign military suppliers, providing between 25% and 40% of Moscow’s artillery ammunition needs, and delivering millions of rounds of ammunition, ballistic missiles, and hundreds of artillery systems since 2023.

In a document provided in response to a Kyiv Post inquiry, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) said the scale and regularity of deliveries indicate that military-technical cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow has become “systemic.”

According to the agency’s assessment, North Korea currently occupies a “key position” among Russia’s foreign suppliers of weapons and military equipment, supplying between a quarter and two-fifths of the artillery ammunition used by Russian forces.