US, Iran trade new strikes; Platner exit upends key Maine Senate race

The U.S. hits Iran again. More than 90 targets struck over two nights

As President Trump warns Tehran, the military campaign could go even further

Plus, the political pressure wins. Democrat Graham Plattner drops out, denying rape allegations

but leaving his party scrambling to find a new nominee in Maine

And show us you're okay. Kentucky's governor publicly calls on Mitch McConnell to disclose his health status

after weeks of silence. The stories that matter, clear and credible from across the country to

around the world. These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. The U.S. and Iran have exchanged new strikes overnight

as any hope of reviving the ceasefire continues to fade. U.S. Central Command says American forces

hit about 90 military targets across Iran overnight, including air defense systems

missile and drone sites, naval assets, and other military infrastructure along Iran's coast

Iran, meanwhile, targeted several U.S. allies in the Gulf. In Kuwait, at least one person was

injured after the military shot down 10 Iranian drones and four missiles. Sirens sounded multiple

times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, while Qatar also reported strikes

Iran's health ministry says two days of American airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and

wounded close to 80 others. The latest escalation comes after President Trump declared the ceasefire

effectively over, saying Iran's attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz ended the truce

But when asked if we're returning to full-scale military conflict, Trump said he doesn't know

But if we did, the U.S. would, quote, win it very quickly

We have many ways we can win, but we've already won militarily

They have very little left, and they want to make a deal so badly

They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal

I don't know that they're going to honor the deal. That's a problem. Meanwhile, Iran is wrapping up its days-long farewell to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Mourners are taking his coffin to his hometown of Mashhad, where he will be buried today

Politics now, Democrats are suddenly back to square one in one of the country's most important Senate races

Graham Plattner suspended his campaign last night while continuing to deny allegations

that he sexually assaulted a woman he was dating five years ago

In an emotional 11-minute video, Plattner said pressure from Democrats across the country left him with no path forward He accused the quote political establishment of forcing him from the race and said party leaders in Washington should not decide who replaces him

This is incredibly difficult because I know that some will think it's an admission of guilt

and it most certainly is not. We're not doing it because of the allegations. We're doing it because of the structures that are being taken away from us by those in power

And I'm not asking for how this process is going to work. I'm not trying to dictate to anyone who it should be or how we get there. But I will say this. It needs to be open, transparent and democratic

It needs to be reflecting the will and the values of the people that built this movement, the people that showed up on June 9th

People in D.C. need to stay in D.C. Decisions should not be made in back rooms by people in places of political power

Maine is one of the Democrats' best opportunities to flip a Republican Senate seat

making the search for a new nominee especially urgent as they try to unseat longtime Senator Susan Collins

Plattner has not yet filed the paperwork to formally withdraw, but he has until Monday at 5 p.m. to do so

Democrats would then have until July 27th to choose a replacement. Several names have been floated, but so far only former state Senate President Troy Jackson has filed paperwork to enter the race

For the first time since Senator Mitch McConnell was hospitalized nearly three weeks ago, the governor of Kentucky is publicly asking for answers

Governor Andy Beshear sent McConnell a letter Wednesday urging him to update Kentucky residents on his condition, writing, quote

Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being and ability to hold office

He goes on to ask the senator to fully update Kentuckians on his health

McConnell, who's 84, has not appeared publicly since being hospitalized on June 14th

His office says he's improving and continuing to work with staff, but it still has not said why he was rushed to the hospital or when he will return to Washington

Paramedics had gone to his home in D.C. and reported that somebody was unconscious and had gone into cardiac arrest

The silence since has fueled weeks of speculation online, prompting several Republican senators this week to say they've spoken with McConnell by phone and that he's alert and engaged

The questions also carry political stakes. If McConnell's Senate seat were to become vacant before his term ends in January

Kentucky law no longer allows the governor to appoint a replacement Instead Beshear a Democrat would call a special election McConnell has already announced he won seek another term but with the Senate set to return

next week, questions about his health and whether he will be able to return are only growing

President Trump has lost another attempt to keep E. Jean Carroll from collecting the $5 million

a jury awarded her in her sexual abuse and defamation case. A federal judge on Wednesday

They ordered the money, plus several years of accrued interest, released to Carroll after the Supreme Court declined last week to hear Trump's appeal

Trump's attorneys had asked the judge to hold off while they asked the Supreme Court to reconsider that decision

filing a rare petition for a rehearing just hours before the money was set to be released

Judge Louis Kaplan rejected the request, ruling the funds should be turned over now

Trump's legal team immediately appealed that order. The president has continued to deny Carroll's allegations and has vowed to keep fighting the case

writing after the Supreme Court's decision that he would continue the battle against what he called a weaponization and lawfare case

Trump is also asking the Supreme Court to review a separate $83 million defamation judgment Carroll won against him last year

President Trump's plan to build a 250-foot triumphal arch in the nation's capital is moving forward

but it's not getting a blank check. The National Capital Planning Commission is set to take up the

project today after staff recommended preliminary approval, while also calling for a series of

changes before any final sign-off. One of the biggest issues is height. Staff says the design

should comply with federal limits that help protect Washington's skyline. They're also asking for more

details on traffic, lighting, stormwater drainage, and building materials before the project can move

forward. Trump wants the arch built on a traffic circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge

The administration says the design is inspired by a 1925 plan for the area, but that plan called for

two 166-foot columns, not a 250-foot arch. Opponents argue the project would interrupt

the historic view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The White House

has not released a price tag for the project. Now to some breaking news this morning

It's surprising and sad at the same time. One of rock's most distinctive voices has gone silent

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind the classics Total Eclipse of the Heart and Holding Out for a Hero

has died at the age of 75. Ironically, the raspy voice that made her famous

was never part of the plan. After surgery on her vocal cords in the late 1970s Tyler was told not to speak but one frustrated scream permanently changed her voice Who knew right That husky sound would go on to define her career

helping Total Eclipse of the Heart reach number one in both the United States and UK

and become one of the biggest power ballads of the 1980s. Tyler recorded 18 studio albums

represented the UK at Eurovision in 2013, and was honored by the British government

for her contributions to music. No cause of death has been released

Finally this morning, the next time you're filling up, you might have another option

besides regular, premium, or diesel. How about Freedom Fuel? The first gas station in the Trump

backed Freedom Fuel Network has opened in Philadelphia, selling regular gas for $3.47

a gallon. A nod to President Trump being the nation's 47th president. That's about 50 cents

below Pennsylvania's statewide average, part of a White House-backed effort highlighting lower gas prices this summer

The White House promoted the opening on X, writing, President Trump is leading the charge

to lower gas prices this summer, putting more money in your pocket. The rollout, though, is drawing both praise and criticism

All I know is that really, as far as it goes, you can't beat the price

Trump's the man. I mean, you may not agree with the way he behaves sometimes or what he says

but he's a businessman. He's a policymaker. He's the man. I wish we could have him for four more years

My concern about it is clearly the price is subsidized, and I want Americans to be asking, where is that money coming from

Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50 cents a gallon for people to make President Trump look good

And it also is more indication of how business is getting involved with the Trump administration and the serious concerns I have with that

The White House says President Trump has no ownership stake or financial involvement in the company

which operates about two dozen gas stations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey

According to AAA, by the way, the national average for a gallon of regular gas this morning is 384

Fuel prices remain in focus as markets continue watching renewed fighting in Iran

Unbiased Updates is the fastest, fairest few minutes in news. You can watch us anytime at san.com or on the app

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We're grateful you have made us part of your daily routine. We certainly are

Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Thursday. We'll see you back here tomorrow, Friday. We love that

For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrelli. Have a great day