U.S. strikes on Iran continue a second day and Maine Democrats scramble to replace Graham Platner: Morning Rundown

In today’s newsletter: The U.S. and Iran trade strikes in new round of attacks. Democrats race to pick a replacement candidate for Graham Platner. And the surprising snubs from this year’s Emmy nominations.

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U.S. attacks Iran for a second day; Tehran fires back at Gulf states

The U.S. and Iran traded attacks overnight into today, intensifying an exchange that has threatened the collapse of their agreement to end the war.

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The American military said it hit around 90 targets in airstrikes across Iran, hours after President Donald Trump said he considered the tenuous ceasefire between the two countries over, following Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran retaliated with attacks on at least three Gulf states — a wave of strikes that sparked alerts in U.S. allies Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait — as the two sides accused each other of violating the terms of their interim deal.

The two days of renewed fighting cast doubt on whether Washington and Tehran remained committed to reaching a final deal to end the war, which was launched by the U.S. and Israel in February.

Asked about the status of the ceasefire on Wednesday at the NATO summit in Turkey’s capital Ankara, Trump said, “It’s a very interesting question to me. I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore.”

Speaking with reporters later that day aboard Air Force One, Trump insisted that Iran was desperate to make a deal with the U.S., despite the recent escalation in hostilities. He said Tehran had called him over peace efforts.

“I just don’t know that they’re worthy of making a deal,” he said. “I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal. That’s the problem.”

There may be few options left for Trump, analysts say.

“His pessimism in not getting a final agreement, I think, is well placed, but that doesn’t mean that, you know, the no war, no agreement, no peace situation is also sustainable,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director for the International Crisis Group think tank.

FDA report says levels of heavy metals found in tampons aren’t harmful

The FDA found that various heavy metals found in tampons — including lead, arsenic and lithium — don’t pose any health risks. Reproductive health experts, however, aren’t ready to call it safe, saying more research is needed to put millions of consumers at ease.

Previous research found that all tampons, regardless of their “nontoxic” or “organic” classifications, contained toxic metals, prompting the FDA’s new report. The levels of metal released from the 11 brands of tampons tested were “too small to cause harm,” according to the report.

Graham Platner drops out of Maine Senate race after sexual assault accusation

Graham Platner announced he’s ending his Senate campaign, capping a chaotic few days of Democratic infighting and leaving the party in search of a candidate to flip a key Maine seat this fall.

Platner’s exit came after a woman he dated accused him of sexual assault in 2021. He denied the allegation as “false” and said he was suspending his campaign only because the party was pulling all resources, making it impossible to continue.

“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,” the populist progressive said in a video.

The state party said it will hold a nominating convention to pick a replacement candidate , promising transparency.

As Democrats scramble to figure out who could replace Platner on the ballot, one famous name has already withdrawn from consideration: Patrick Dempsey. Yes, “McDreamy” running for Senate was a possibility being bandied about, since he’s a Maine native. But in an op-ed, he definitively stated, “The answer is no.”

And Maine isn’t the only state where Democrats are taking aim at each other. Michigan’s Senate primary is turning ugly with a hostile fight between Abdul El-Sayed, backed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rep. Haley Stevens, Chuck Schumer’s pick.

Emmy nominations: The biggest snubs, HBO’s domination and Apple TV’s rise

As HBO braces for a potential merger with Paramount+, the TV giant dominated this year’s Emmy nominations, earning 122 nods. Its medical drama, “The Pitt,” led the pack with 25 nominations, and comedy “Hacks” set a record with 24.

In the remaining nominations, Taylor Swift received a belated wedding gift from the academy, Apple TV’s new shows performed highly and despite “Heated Rivalry’s” ineligibility, one of its stars earned his first nod.

Setting the stage for the World Cup quarterfinals

The quarterfinals kick off today with a rematch of an exciting 2022 semifinal between France and Morocco at 4 p.m. ET in Boston. Kylian Mbappé trails Messi by just one goal in the Golden Boot race, but his Les Bleus now face their toughest test of the tournament. The Atlas Lions are the lone African team left in the competition and are looking to stun the footballing world with a takedown blow of Didier Deschamps’ 2018 World Cup champions in this revenge match.

On Saturday, Erling Haaland’s Norway will be taking on England. Haaland has become a favorite of soccer fans in China , which didn’t qualify for this year’s tournament. The Manchester City striker is a sensation on Chinese social media, where fans affectionately refer to him as “Ha Bao,” which translates to “Baby Ha.” One of the reasons for his popularity is the way he has embraced Chinese social media’s unique style of close communication with fans.

Read more on what to expect in the next round of matches.

💥 What you missed: The Egyptian Football Association criticized referee decisions during its 3-2 defeat by Argentina, saying it would not remain silent over what it described as an improper use of the VAR system.

🎶 Musical send-off: Justin Bieber is joining fellow headliners Madonna, Shakira and BTS for a star-studded halftime show during the final on July 19.

📩 Join the excitement: Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for more in-depth World Cup coverage.

Staff Pick: The Pentagon is running out of money

The Pentagon did not adequately plan for the cost of the current war in Iran or the slew of other military operations in which the Pentagon is engaged. As a result, despite its nearly trillion-dollar budget, the Pentagon is running out of cash.

We wanted to know what impact that’s having on operations and the troops and their families. We found that military aircraft are parked, some non-critical deployments and training exercises are being postponed, and repairs and maintenance at base facilities are only being addressed if they are considered “emergencies.” Maintenance workers might turn off a leaky pipe, but not replace it.

The Pentagon has asked for what’s known as a supplemental budget of $67 billion, but lawmakers who must approve the request are loath to do so for a number of reasons, including frustration with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for failing to provide them adequate information on the war in Iran. We’ll be watching how the negotiations go over the supplemental, particularly as President Donald Trump weighs whether to restart combat operations in Iran.

— Gordon Lubold, senior national security reporter

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