The 2026 Emmy nominations were released on Wednesday, delivering several surprise nominees alongside a handful of notable snubs.  “The Pitt” led all series with 25 nominations. The comedy-drama “Hacks” followed with 24 total noms in its final season, while HBO Max dominated all other outlets with 122 nominations overall, including three shows up for both Best Overall Drama and Best Overall Comedy. One of the surprise hits was “Widow’s Bay,” a buzzy, unique horror-comedy on Apple TV starring Matthew Rhys, which earned 19 nominations. It gained traction several weeks after its debut thanks to word of mouth and rave reviews from critics. The New York Times reviewer said of the Apple TV offering, “A laugh and a scare are different outcomes of the same achievement, a good surprise, and ‘Widow’s Bay’ has more of those than there are fish in the sea.” Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro called the series “one of the most mesmerizing acts of narrative prestidigitation in horror” and even, “the best streaming series in a long time.” “Pluribus,” a hit from famed creator Vince Gilligan, got 18 total nominations, including a Best Actress in a Drama nomination for “Better Call Saul” alum Rhea Seahorn.  Apple TV also landed Best Comedy Series nominations for “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” and “Shrinking.” Stephen Colbert has made a lot of noise after his “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” got canceled, but the show ended up with the most nominations ever in its 11-year run, scoring 9 total.  Notable snubs this year include “The Bear,” which earned a few nominations but fewer than in prior years, and no Best Actor recognition for Jeremy Allen White. Here is a list of the major nominations: Outstanding Drama Series “The Diplomat” “The Gilded Age” “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” “Paradise” “The Pitt” “Slow Horses” “Your Friends & Neighbors” Outstanding Comedy Series “Abbott Elementary” “The Bear” “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” “Nobody Wants This” “Only Murders in the Building” “Shrinking” “Widow’s Bay” “Hacks” Outstanding Limited Series “All Her Fault” “The Beast In Me” “Beef” “DTF St. Louis” “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Sterling K. Brown – “Paradise” Gary Oldman – “Slow Horses” Mark Ruffalo – “Task” Rufus Sewell – “The Diplomat” Noah Wyle – “The Pitt” Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Carrie Coon – “The Gilded Age” Chase Infiniti – “The Testaments” Keri Russell – “The Diplomat” Rhea Seehorn – “Pluribus” Zendaya – “Euphoria” Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Patrick Ball – “The Pitt” Billy Crudup – “The Morning Show” Shawn Hatosy – “The Pitt” Gerran Howell – “The Pitt” Jack Lowden – “Slow Horses” Tom Pelphrey – “Task” Carlos-Manuel Vesga – “Pluribus” Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series  Taylor Dearden – “The Pitt” Fiona Dourif – “The Pitt” Allison Janney – “The Diplomat” Katherine LaNasa – “The Pitt” Sepideh Moafi – “The Pitt” Julianne Nicholson – “Paradise” Karolina Wydra – “Pluribus” Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary” Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear” Elle Fanning – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Lisa Kudrow – “The Comeback” Jean Smart – “Hacks” Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – “Wonder Man” Steve Carell – “Rooster” Matthew Rhys – “Widow’s Bay” Jason Segel – “Shrinking” Martin Short – “Only Murders in the Building” Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Dale Dickey – “Widow’s Bay” Hannah Einbinder – “Hacks” Janelle James – “Abbott Elementary” Kate O’Flynn – “Widow’s Bay” Michelle Pfeiffer – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Megan Stalter – “Hacks” Jessica Williams – “Shrinking” Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Colman Domingo – “The Four Seasons” Paul W. Downs – “Hacks” Harrison Ford – “Shrinking” Nick Offerman – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Stephen Root – “Widow’s Bay” Michael Urie – “Shrinking” Tyler James Williams – “Abbott Elementary” Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Riz Ahmed – “Fate” Jason Bateman – “Black Rabbit” Charlie Hunnam – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Oscar Isaac – “Beef” Matthew Rhys – “The Beast In Me” Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie Claire Danes – “The Beast In Me” Sally Field – “Remarkably Bright Creatures” Carey Mulligan – “Beef” Sarah Pidgeon – “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” Sarah Snook – “All Her Fault” Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Jason Bateman – “DTF St. Louis” Richard Gadd – “Half Man” David Harbour – “DTF St. Louis” Richard Jenkins – “DTF St. Louis” Charles Melton – “Beef” Nick Offerman – “Death By Lightning” Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie Linda Cardellini – “DTF St. Louis” Dakota Fanning – “All Her Fault” Laurie Metcalf – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” Joy Sunday – “DTF St. Louis” Youn Yuh-jung – “Beef” Constance Zimmer – “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” Outstanding Reality/Competition Series “Dancing with the Stars” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” “Survivor” “Top Chef” “The Traitors” Outstanding Variety Series “The Daily Show” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” “Saturday Night Live” Outstanding Variety Special (Live) The Super Bowl LX Halftime Show starring Bad Bunny The Golden Globes The Grammys The Oscars The Tonys

Graham Platner, the scandal-filled Maine leftist who came under fire over a Nazi tattoo and faces allegations of rape and sexual harassment, suspended his Senate campaign Wednesday after Democrats mounted a pressure campaign to force him out of the race. He announced his decision in an 11-minute video released on social media: My name might be on the ballot right now, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine. pic.twitter.com/RKVyLU76tm — Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) July 9, 2026 Platner announced he was ending his candidacy and would leave the process of selecting a new nominee to party leaders, despite having won the nomination decisively. “We believe that for the movement to continue, it can’t be me,” Platner said. “And for that reason, we are suspending campaign operations.” “I have faced some very serious allegations, and I just want to make it clear, this is all false,” he added. “The things that have been claimed did not happen. It’s not real.” He said that he is prepared to file the paperwork to formally withdraw from the race. It marks a stunning fall from grace for the Bernie Sanders-backed oyster farmer, who leaned on a working-class, populist message to catapult himself onto the national political stage and buck his party’s unpopular establishment wing. Last July, two Bernie Sanders-aligned political operatives hunted for a Democrat to challenge Collins, ultimately landing on and recruiting Platner. His rapid rise dealt a major blow to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who had recruited Janet Mills, the current Democratic governor of Maine. Platner’s exit upends a key Senate race and throws a wrench into Democrats’ efforts to regain control of the Senate in November. Democrats nationwide had urged Platner to drop out ahead of a July 13 deadline so the party could install a new nominee to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. It’s unclear who will replace Platner. Many party officials, however, have pointed to Troy Jackson, a former Maine State Senator and Platner ally. Jackson, who enthusiastically backed Platner’s candidacy, called for him to drop out and launched an exploratory committee to potentially replace his friend on the ballot, according to FEC filings. Initially, Platner reportedly resisted demands to suspend his campaign, insisting that he — not Democratic leaders — choose his successor. In an extraordinary statement, the Maine Democratic Party on Tuesday accused the leftist campaign of trying to “put their thumb on the scale.”  “Unfortunately, Graham Platner’s team has repeatedly reached out to us in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like,” Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said. “We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like.” The campaign pushed back, telling NBC: “While Graham wouldn’t want to be a part of the process, he would want to make sure the voters and volunteers make this decision — not the political establishment.” Platner’s campaign unraveled over the 4th of July weekend following explosive allegations of rape and sexual assault.  Politico interviewed 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot, who accused Platner of breaking into her house in 2021 and sexually assaulting her. CNN released an interview with Racicot, who described the alleged assault as rape. The Senate hopeful has repeatedly called allegations of nonconsensual sex “categorically false.”  On Tuesday, another ex-girlfriend accused Platner of repeatedly removing condoms without her consent during sex, according to a report by The Washington Post, which he denied. Within hours, Platner’s support among leftists and Democrats alike began to evaporate. Schumer called on Platner to drop out, describing the rape allegations as “incredibly disturbing.” “The DSCC will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot,” Schumer said in a statement with fellow Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).  Vermont socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and leftist streamer Hasan Piker, who had repeatedly defended Platner through previous scandals, also joined the chorus calling for him to step aside. The Nazi tattoo, infidelity, and disparaging Reddit posts against women, veterans, and rural voters did not appear to cross their red line. The Daily Wire previously uncovered that the Senate hopeful maintained an active account on a social media platform known to attract child predators. Despite the turmoil, prediction markets still favor Democrats to win the seat against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who acknowledged that the political firestorm surrounding the race is beyond her control. “These allegations are appalling,” Collins said in a statement. “Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate,” Sen. Collins said in response to the scandal.

New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani found a new victim to champion this week: the Egyptian national soccer team. The mayor, never one to pass up a grievance, used his own press event for a bus-speed initiative to sneak in a jab at the World Cup, repeatedly claiming the Egyptian national soccer team got cheated in its loss to Argentina.

The Nashville Police Department held a diversity training session for recruits inside a gay nightclub during Pride Month, bringing trainees together with members of the city’s LGBTQ community. The session took place at Play Nashville, known around Nashville for its drag performances. Video shared by the mayor’s office shows recruits seated inside the venue, participating in a moderated discussion.  Officer Darci Stechman, the department’s LGBTQ liaison, told recruits to come prepared with questions before the discussion: “Otherwise it’s going to be awkward, and you’re just going to be staring at one another for an hour and a half.” She added, “Nashville is very diverse, so we’re exposing the trainees to these different communities and letting them learn a little bit more about the people they may interact with within the community.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Mayor Freddie O’Connell (@mayorofnashvilletn) The video also shows recruits speaking with Councilmember Olivia Hill, the first transgender-identifying man elected to the Metro Council.  Nashville Democratic Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office said the visit was part of the department’s standard diversity tour for recruits, not a one-time Pride Month event. “Metro Nashville Police recruits do a diversity tour before they ever hit the streets,” O’Connell’s office said. “Mayor O’Connell is committed to a city for everyone and that starts by bringing people together.” The mayor’s office and the police department both shared video of the training on social media. The police training is one of several diversity initiatives promoted by Nashville government agencies in recent years. The Daily Wire previously reported that Nashville Electric Service (NES) employees participated in diversity training before a crippling January ice storm left 230,000 customers without power. NES employees were asked to recognize their “implicit biases” and whether they had a diverse friend group.  Trainings were required for all supervisors and managers, and modules were “completed by employees in 2023-2025,” according to an NES spokesperson.  O’Connell is known for his leftist ideas, including his focus on climate change and anti-ICE stance. In May of last year, the mayor doxxed multiple ICE Agents after his office released information on the interactions between ICE agents and Nashville emergency service personnel. The mayor’s office claimed the names were released by mistake. 

More never-before-seen footage of Tyler Robinson was shown in a Provo, Utah, courtroom on Wednesday, showing the accused killer two days after the Charlie Kirk assassination. Robinson, who is charged with murdering Kirk, turned himself in to authorities 33 hours after Kirk was fatally shot. The video footage presented Wednesday shows Robinson being held at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Hurricane, Utah, on September 12, 2025. Notably, Robinson appears to be wearing the same clothing he wore arriving on campus that morning.. Robinson is wearing a maroon-colored t-shirt with no graphics or lettering and Converse sneakers, according to the video and testimony. “Never before seen footage of Tyler Robinson being held at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Hurricane, Utah before his transfer. Sept 12, 2025,” Gina Milan reported. WATCH: Never before seen footage of Tyler Robinson being held at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Hurricane, Utah before his transfer. pic.twitter.com/wyK4cEGTA3 — Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) July 8, 2026 Footage taken on the Utah Valley University campus from September 10, 2025, the day Kirk was killed, shows a man believed to be Robinson wearing a maroon shirt, light-colored shorts, and Converse shoes, according to video and testimony. WATCH: Bad day for the “Tyler Robinson was not on campus that day” retards pic.twitter.com/dMyqO0cuMM — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 7, 2026 During the hearing on Tuesday, security footage played in court appeared to show Robinson walking with what authorities described as a “limp” just minutes before the shooting. “UVU prosecutors just presented this footage of Tyler Robinson arriving on campus for the third time, just minutes before the shooting,” Blake Neff, a producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” posted online. “Look at how he is walking, as if something is hindering his right leg.” (See footage above.) Reports have previously indicated that Robinson appeared to walk with a stiff right leg before the shooting, or with an unusual gait, which some have suggested could indicate he was concealing a rifle under his clothing. Robinson is facing the death penalty for the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder and conservative leader Charlie Kirk. Reporters inside the courtroom said the prosecution used surveillance footage to establish that Robinson was on campus four separate times on September 10, 2025, the day Kirk was killed. “The timeline prosecutors are building is strong. Surveillance placing Robinson on campus before, during, and after the shot. Roof access, sniper position in the gravel, that screwdriver left behind, every piece fits,” Jack Posobiec reported on Monday. “Defense is already grasping at procedural straws.” In another video played for the court, a person believed to be Robinson was seen “‘rolling’ over the railing of the Losee Student Center and moving into a prone position just seconds before Kirk was shot,” Neff posted. Security footage also appeared to show a person believed to be Robinson seconds after Kirk was fatally shot. The person was seen running along the top of a campus building “before dropping down onto the grass and heading away from campus on foot, carrying something,” The New York Times reported. The hearing will determine whether prosecutors have presented enough evidence to establish probable cause for Robinson to stand trial for Kirk’s assassination. Related: Don Jr., Wife Condemn ‘Lies’ About Kirk Assassination