Scandal-plagued Graham Platner is projected to win the Maine Democratic Senate primary, setting up a November contest with incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). The showdown will be among the most closely-watched Senate races in November. Platner, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer, has the support of several progressive darlings, including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). BREAKING: Embattled Maine Democrat Graham Platner wins his party's nomination for Senate. He will now face longtime Republican Senator Susan Collins in November. The race is one of a handful across the country that will determine whether the GOP keeps control of its slim Senate… pic.twitter.com/2J1sWpuZ0m — Fox News (@FoxNews) June 10, 2026 Fox News shared further: Platner, who advocates an economically populist agenda as he takes aim at corporate influences and advocates for the working class, also topped two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills in the primary. The governor’s name remained on the ballot even though Mills, who had been backed by longtime Democratic Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, suspended her bid earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. “We’re going to win in November and we’re going to take power back for the people in this country,” Platner predicted Sunday night, at his final rally ahead of the primary. Platner has been playing defense the past month, amid multiple controversies. They include inflammatory online comments made on Reddit, a well-publicized and now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, recent reports that he exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married, and new allegations last week from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner has called the latest allegations of violence untrue. On Monday, a day before the primary election, a former high-level staffer from the Planter campaign wrote in the Washington Post that Platner “is not someone who would be good for Maine or for the country.” Despite the controversies, Platner has rallied enough support from progressive allies to challenge the longtime Republican senator. “What’s my risk with going with Graham Platner? My risk is, oh, maybe we’re wrong,” said Cenk Uygur, co-creator of the progressive online show “The Young Turks,” according to POLITICO. “But if we go with an establishment candidate, there’s a 100 percent chance we’re wrong,” he added. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) wasted no time launching an ad against Platner ahead of the November election. Check it out: Graham Platner delivers scandals. Susan Collins delivers results. In Maine, the choice is clear. pic.twitter.com/jTy5plt1vw — Senate Republicans (@NRSC) June 10, 2026 POLITICO has more: Uygur is also the founder of Rebellion PAC, which is backing Platner and other populist candidates in primaries, and has raised non-corporate funds and run messaging campaigns for candidates. The risks for progressives standing by Platner amid growing controversy extend well beyond Maine and even 2026. A loss would likely only deepen doubts about candidates in his mold, especially as the party looks toward what kind of Democrat can win the presidency in 2028. The left has notched a series of wins in recent years that have strengthened its hand against the party’s establishment wing, a fight dating back to Bernie Sanders’ 2016 primary against Hillary Clinton and continuing through his 2020 run against Joe Biden. That includes New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s meteoric rise last fall from little-known state lawmaker to one of the party’s most recognizable and well-liked new faces — a win powered by many of the same strategists now working for Platner. But that hard-fought momentum — and arguments that it’s worth taking a chance on more untested political outsiders over people with long political track records — is on the line with Platner. If he has a lackluster performance on Tuesday or, more importantly, goes on to lose the critical Senate race in the general election, establishment Democrats will amp up their “I told you so’s.” Progressives have circled the wagons hard around Platner, a stark contrast to other Democrats who’ve faced personal scandals in recent years. On the eve of Tuesday’s primary, Sanders said at the National Press Club that “there are no saints in the United States’ Senate” and that he was “going to do everything I can to make sure that Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine.”

Karmelo Anthony is going to prison. The Collin County jury that convicted him of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf has now sentenced him to 35 years behind bars. That is the new update after WLTR covered the guilty verdict earlier today. Anthony was 17 when Metcalf was stabbed during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He is now 19, convicted, and sentenced. MJTruth posted the immediate reaction question many people are asking tonight. The court update came after jurors rejected the defense claim that Anthony acted in self-defense. The earlier verdict was already a massive blow to the defense. The sentence now puts a number on it. FOX 4 reported the sentencing update from McKinney, Texas: The jury sentenced Anthony to 35 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after half that time is served. He faced anywhere from 5 to 99 years in prison. Jurors could have also found that he acted under sudden passion. That would have limited his punishment to just 20 years. Jurors reached a sentencing verdict after about 2 hours and 20 minutes of deliberating. The courtroom was full while everyone waited for the jury to return. The Metcalf family and Anthony’s grandmother were spotted inside the courtroom. Family members were expected to give impact statements immediately after the sentence was read. Metcalf’s aunt was the first to address Anthony for victim impact statements. She said April 2, 2025 is a day she’ll never forget. The call from her sister, Metcalf’s mom, still haunts her. “As I drove to the hospital, I never believed Austin could be gone,” she said. “The impact of his death is permanent.” FOX 5 NY had reported earlier that the jury had reached a verdict in the murder trial. The jury has reached a verdict in the case Karmelo Anthony who is accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf to death during a track meet last year. https://t.co/TcihRAShl7 — FOX 5 NY (@fox5ny) June 9, 2026 Anthony’s mother was the only witness the defense called during the sentencing phase. She asked the jury for mercy. The jury still came back with 35 years. CBS Texas reported more from the punishment phase: A Collin County jury sentenced Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for the 2025 Frisco track meet murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. Jurors took two-and-a-half hours to reach the sentence. The prosecution and defense both waived their right to opening statements in the sentencing phase. Prosecutors also chose not to call any witnesses, and the defense ended after just one – Anthony’s mother, Kayla Hayes. “He’s my oldest, he’s my firstborn,” she said. “He will always be my baby. I love him very much.” “Does your son regret what he did?” the defense asked. “Yes, he’s very sorry for what he did,” Hayes said. Anthony faced a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison. During its closing argument, the state pressed jurors to center their attention on the young life cut short. “Austin Metcalf was a son. Austin Metcalf was a brother,” the prosecutor said. To underscore that point, prosecutors projected an image from last year’s Frisco ISD track meet, where coaches could be seen praying over Austin Metcalf as they pleaded for his recovery. In the gallery, Austin’s brother, Hunter Metcalf, lowered his head into his hands, visibly shaken. The case drew national attention because the facts were brutal and the politics around it became ugly fast. The central courtroom question was still simple. Did Anthony act in lawful self-defense, or did he murder Austin Metcalf? The jury answered that question with a murder conviction. HAPPENING NOW: A verdict has been reached in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial pic.twitter.com/6sNJUMKRex — The Faulkner Focus (@FaulknerFocus) June 9, 2026 Anthony’s supporters can talk about appeals. They can talk about race, pressure, or the emotions around the courthouse. But the legal reality changed Tuesday night. Karmelo Anthony was convicted of murder, sentenced to 35 years, and remanded to prison for killing Austin Metcalf. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has won the GOP primary for Senate in South Carolina. Graham defeated multiple challengers, with the biggest threat coming from businessman Mark Lynch. Graham secured enough of the vote to avoid a June 23 primary runoff and will face pediatrician Annie Andrews in November. Decision Desk HQ projects Lindsey Graham wins the SC US Senate Republican Primary#DecisionMade: 8:10 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/9ct87yBqvz — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 10, 2026 NBC News shared further: Graham got a boost from Trump, who endorsed the four-term senator last year, and Graham touted his record and his work with Trump in the primary. In one campaign ad, a narrator said Trump “delivered on his promise to close the border” with Graham’s help, adding that Graham is “there for South Carolina, delivering for President Trump.” Trump also recently slammed Lynch as a “lunatic,” criticizing his support for GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, which Graham highlighted on the airwaves. The Graham campaign also attacked Lynch for past arrests on charges related to cocaine and driving under the influence. Lynch has said he sought treatment and “got clean and sober.” Lynch, meanwhile, argued that Graham has been in office for too long, saying the state was “done with attorneys and career politicians,” and he highlighted Graham’s past clashes with Trump. One ad from the Lynch campaign was solely footage of Trump slamming Graham back in 2016. Graham and Trump’s relationship has evolved since then, and the senator has become a close ally and frequent golf partner of the president. Graham also had the support of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). “I think we need people that know what the h*** they’re doing and can deliver, really. And that’s what it’s about, having somebody in Washington that can deliver for you and your family,” Graham said in a prior interview, according to The Hill. “If you think President Trump’s done a good job, I do too. He’s endorsed me, not my opponents, but me,” he continued. Graham quickly gained a double digit lead as the results poured in. DDHQ Race Update (est. 25% in): South Carolina US Senate Republican Primary Lindsey Graham (R): 64,502 (59.0%)Mark Lynch (R): 29,692 (27.2%)Thomas Dismukes (R): 5,285 (4.8%)Pat Herrmann (R): 3,976 (3.6%) Follow more results here:https://t.co/ed0AqOhulA pic.twitter.com/9HpUWWiXSl — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 10, 2026 The Hill has more: Andrews, meanwhile, won endorsements from EMILYs List and former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Jaime Harrison, who unsuccessfully sought to unseat Graham in 2020. The Palmetto State hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1998, when then-Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) won reelection. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Graham’s seat as “solid Republican.”

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who has the endorsement of President Trump, and state Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a June 23 primary runoff in the race for governor. Evette and Wilson were the top two vote-getters on Tuesday night, but neither secured enough support to avoid a runoff. JUST IN: Evette, Wilson head to runoff in heated South Carolina GOP governor’s racehttps://t.co/pRCCVHiBhQ — The Hill (@thehill) June 10, 2026 The Hill has more: Republican hopefuls crowded into the race to replace outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster (R) as head of the state that’s key to the early presidential nominating calendar. Three Democrats were battling in their own primary across the aisle, but Cook Political Report considers the South Carolina governor’s mansion to be solidly Republican. South Carolina state Sen. Jermaine Johnson is projected to secure the Democratic nod Tuesday. Evette and Wilson edged out businessman Rom Reddy and Republican Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace, among others, in Tuesday’s GOP primary. Most candidates sought to stress their alignment with President Trump on the campaign trail in the state he won by double digits in 2024, but Evette ultimately snagged his endorsement. If Evette can go on to win the runoff, it’ll mark another victory for Trump, whose preferred candidates have been largely on a winning streak this cycle. Evette jumped out to a slight lead as the results poured in. DDHQ Race Update (est. 31% in): South Carolina Governor Republican Primary Pamela Evette (R): 38,155 (29.0%)Alan Wilson (R): 33,444 (25.4%)Ralph Norman (R): 22,603 (17.2%)Rom Reddy (R): 22,448 (17.1%)Nancy Mace (R): 13,768 (10.5%) Follow more results here:… pic.twitter.com/hYkzsGctdX — Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) June 10, 2026 NBC News shared further: On Monday, her campaign blasted out a news release headlined “President Trump Doubles Down on his ‘Complete and Total Endorsement” of Evette, pointing to another Truth Social post in which Trump touted his support for the lieutenant governor. Trump also held a tele-rally Monday evening for Evette and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is up for re-election. Wilson, the son of Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., has served as the state’s attorney general for more than 15 years and has touted endorsements from local law enforcement as well as his service in the South Carolina National Guard. “Tonight, South Carolina families sent a clear message: they want a Governor who will fight for their families, lower costs, keep communities safe, and put taxpayers first,” Wilson said in a statement. “Conservatives said this office must be earned, not arranged.” Evette was joined in the contest by multiple high-ranking South Carolina elected Republicans, including Wilson and Reps. Nancy Mace and Rep. Ralph Norman. Self-funding businessman Rom Reddy also gained steam late in the race. Earlier in the campaign, Mace looked like she may have an inside track to Trump’s endorsement, enjoying a close relationship with the president. Mace had worked for Trump’s 2016 campaign but after winning her seat in 2020, she turned sharply critical of him following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. But in the run-up to Trump’s 2024 re-election bid, Mace returned to the fold as a stalwart ally, boosting him in her state’s presidential primary against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

Grammy Award-winning American country music singer and songwriter Brad Paisley is urging people to speak against a proposed data center that would be constructed near the Nashville Zoo. In an Instagram reel, Paisley called the project an “absolute nightmare scenario.” “First of all, they don’t have the power to build this. They don’t have the water. It doesn’t belong there. It would be an enormous monstrosity, an absolute eyesore, and detract in every way from not only that zoo, but that area,” Paisley said in his video. Watch below: Should a data center right be built right next to the Nashville Zoo? Brad Paisley has entered the chat and joins thousands who have already signed a petition against the building proposal. In a statement to NewsChannel 5 today, the Nashville Zoo said it has every intention of… pic.twitter.com/tXtax7k7so — NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) June 8, 2026 NBC News shared further: The video comes days after the zoo created a petition and promoted it on social media, which brought national attention to the dispute and had amassed 331,824 signatures and over 126,599 shares Monday afternoon. The zoo’s president and CEO, Rick Schwartz, said in an interview Friday he was particularly concerned about its impact on rare and vulnerable species at the facility, such as the clouded leopard, whose population the zoo is working to conserve. Paisley, a Nashville resident, is so far the most widely recognized figure to push back against the project. “No one has shared studies or environmental impact assessments. Just their word. That’s why the Nashville Zoo is asking the community to join in vehemently opposing the proposed data center being built adjacent to the Zoo,” the petition says. The proposed data center is from DC BLOX, an Atlanta-based company that specializes in building and operating data centers as a service to “hyperscalers, enterprises, communications providers, and technology companies,” according to its website. With 23 data centers in operation and development, DC BLOX aims to expand the number of data centers across the country. “More data centers are required outside the major cities nearer to edge markets to house the necessary technology to run services closer to data producers and consumers,” its website says. “As we move forward, we have taken the next step in our fight against the proposed data center,” the zoo told NBC News. “Our Land Use Attorney and former Metro Codes Director Bill Herbert has filed a zoning appeal with the city. The goal of this appeal is to overturn the permits that DC BLOX has filed and that have been approved,” it added. A DC BLOX spokesperson told the outlet that the data center would “not be an AI factory placing a burden on local resources and is proposed on a site that had previously operated a data center.” Brad Paisley urges his followers to sign a petition to stop the construction of a 69,000-square-foot data center that would be 50 yards from the Nashville Zoo, which he called “an absolute nightmare scenario” in an Instagram Reel. https://t.co/EmxKUw5oav — NBC News (@NBCNews) June 9, 2026 WSMV noted: According to the permit application by Jeremy Dreiling, the data center would be a single-story building that would span 69,220 square feet. The facility known as the DC Blox Data Center, would be located at 648 Grassmere Park in South Nashville, which lies just feet away from the Nashville Zoo. Dreiling has also filed for a permit to demolish two existing buildings at the location.