"Lie from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
Congressional support is collapsing for Maine, Oysterman, and Senate candidate Graham
Platner, following a sexual assault allegation reported by Politico. Fellow progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is among the last politicians who were the latest politicians to urge Platner a Democrat to drop out of the race in Maine, which
“the Democratic Party sees as a key path to winning back the U.S. Senate in November.”
Maine Public's Kevin Miller spoke with NPRs here and now about what happens next. "So the state law only says that a political committee can put forward a replacement nominee if the withdrawal takes place before 5 p.m. next Monday, so that's on July 13th. The committee then has two weeks, so until July 27th, to make that selection. The process is entirely left open to the party, and that's kind of a lot of speculation
right now as to what's going to happen if Platner does decide to step down." Politico had publisher reported in which Jenny Rassico accuses Platner of sexually assaulting her in 2021, Platner denied the allegation. A high rise under construction in Midtown Manhattan is at risk of collapse. Mayor Zaramam Dany says bricks were falling this morning from the former Pfizer building
near Grand Central Terminal. Two structural columns have buckled, in addition to multiple cracks and sagging floors. The building remains unstable.
“Since arriving on scene, we have witnessed additional movement in one of the compromised”
columns. "Mam Dany says that and other tall buildings in the area, as well as a school with about 400 students have been evacuated. Streets around the side are also close to pedestrians. The pharmaceutical company's former global headquarters was being converted into a more than 1,500 unit residential complex."
Far right leader, Marine Le Pen says she will run for president of France next year and legally challenge her embezzlement conviction. The French appeals court has cleared the way for Le Pen to run, but is requiring her to wear an electronic tag. Most people expected a clearer decision.
If the lower court verdict was fully upheld, Le Pen was to be barred from politics for 5 years. But the court gave her a suspended sentence in one year with an electronic bracelet.
“If she had been declared in eligible her national rally party's number two, Jordan Bardalla”
was to be the candidate for president. The 30-year-old politician is very popular, especially with young people. Others call him an empty suit, who lacks experience. Le Pen is a shrewd politician with decades of experience, but a guilty verdict on her head.
The national rally now faces a difficult choice at a time when it's never been so popular
and has a real chance at the presidency. Eleanor Beardsley and Pierre News, Paris. From Washington, this is NPR News. An e-government study finds an increase in students with disabilities being taught alongside non-disable peers, more from NPR Genaki Mitha.
There's been a 25% jump in the number of students with disabilities being taught in general education classrooms for most of their day. The change happened over the course of a decade between the 2012 to 13 and 2023 to 24 school years. This is according to a new report by the US Government Accountability Office, which found
that the share of students being taught in integrated settings has increased in 42 of 50 states. These increases happen across race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic levels. And in that 10-year period, there's been a 21% growth in students who are getting special ed services across the board, Genaki Mitha and Pierre News. Dolly, a true original musical, begins performances at the St. James Theater, here's Jeff
London. The video dropped early Tuesday morning. Dolly Parton, holding a guitar with a bedazzled butterfly on it, says, "I can officially announce that Dolly a true original musical is coming to Broadway." The musical, which she co-authored with Maria S. Schladder, will feature many of Parton's hits,
including Jolene and I will always love you, as well as new songs written for the story.
Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Scheer will helm the production, which opens on January 19th, 2027. Dolly Parton's 81st birthday. For NPR News, I'm Jeff London in New York. It's NPR.
This week on up first, President Trump heads to the NATO Summit with a stark warning for Iran, make a deal where the U.S. will quote "finish the job, we're tracking what the escalating tension means for energy prices," plus a critical Senate race upended as Democrat Graham Platner faces sexual assault allegations. This week on up first, listen every morning on the MPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
