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WATCH: Maine voters divided on Platner as scandals shadow Democratic primary

WATCH: Maine voters divided on Platner as scandals shadow Democratic primary

MAINE — A new round of explosive allegations has put Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner back in the spotlight ahead of Tuesday’s primary, but voters who spoke to Fox News Digital were split on whether the scandals would affect their vote. “It’s not a good situation,” said Jeff from Waterloo, Maine, one of the residents interviewed outside a shopping plaza in Biddeford, adding that choosing the “lowest common denominator” should not be the answer. “I am a conservative, but he’s just got so much baggage that I think if the Democrats want to have a winner, they’re going to have to find somebody else because he’s not the guy, just too much,” he said. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Sheila from Harrison, Maine, said the scandals would “absolutely” weigh on her vote. She said Platner lacks the judgment and values she expects from someone serving in Congress. “Anyone who’s representing our country or representing us in Congress needs to be held to a higher standard, and I don’t think he’s got any standards,” she said. Just days before Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, former girlfriends told The New York Times that Platner engaged in heavy drinking, experienced violent episodes and discussed rape fantasies, accusations Platner has denied. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY The Marine Corps veteran also faced criticism over a string of controversies, including reports that he sent sexually explicit messages to younger women, a Nazi-linked tattoo and online comments mocking a Purple Heart veteran. While some voters said Platner raised red flags, others remained unfazed. Asked whether Platner’s comments about women bothered her, Ellen from Acton, Maine, said, “When it comes to my vote, no.” SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT “I trust his wife,” she said. “She knows him better than anybody. He is far from perfect. Most of this, my understanding, happened during a tough time in his life. The recent accusations, yes, they’re more recent, but again, I trust her to know who he is morally. “I do think that, as a representative of Maine, aside from what he may do in his marriage, he’s going to do a good job for me,” she added. Jane from Wells, Maine, said her plans to vote for Platner haven’t changed. “I still like him,” she said. “Oh yes. I love him.” Jessica from Biddeford, Maine, said she was not following the controversy surrounding Platner because she ignores the news, arguing that the media distracts people from “the issues that are important.” “We’re better together as one instead of fighting each other over things that don’t matter,” she said. Platner will appear on the ballot alongside David Costello and Janet Mills in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on June 9, with the winner advancing to face incumbent five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.

Cobolli into final as virus-struck Arnaldi pulls out of French Open

Cobolli into final as virus-struck Arnaldi pulls out of French Open

Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Italy’s Flavio Cobolli said he was “sad and happy at the same time” after reaching his first Grand Slam final at the French Open on Friday, following the last-minute withdrawal due to illness of his last-four opponent and compatriot Matteo Arnaldi. The 24-year-old 10th seed will meet Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, which will produce a new major champion, after the German second seed earlier moved past Jakub Mensik in the other semi-final. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Just more than 20 minutes before Cobolli and Arnaldi were due to take to Court Philippe Chatrier, tournament organisers announced that the 104th-ranked Italian had been forced to pull out with a “virus”. “When he came to me almost one hour ago, I almost cried. You know, it’s something that you don’t expect at all. I was ready to play this match,” Cobolli told reporters during a news conference he held with his close friend Arnaldi, as the pair sat three metres (10 feet) apart. “When he came, I was completely sad for him. But, at the same time, of course, I’m really happy for the result that I reached this week. “Yeah, now I’m sad and happy at the same time.” For first-time major semifinalist Arnaldi, withdrawing was “not something that you wish to anybody”, but “the right decision for me to take”. “It’s tough, because for how the tournament was, for how many hours I’ve been on the court, I was feeling actually very good,” Arnaldi, who had spent the most amount of time on court for a player en route to a Grand Slam semifinal, said. The 25-year-old added that, on Thursday, he was “feeling OK” during practice, but after his dinner, he began to feel unwell during the night. Advertisement “I started to feel so-so with my stomach. I was, like, ‘All right, just didn’t digest very well,’” he recounted. “But then I woke up at 1:00am, and I started vomiting, and I wasn’t feeling the best. Then I tried to sleep. I couldn’t sleep at all. At 6:00, 7:00am, I vomited again. “We called the doctor into the room. He came, gave me some stuff. I was hoping that it would just be something from dinner or something like that, but then throughout the day, I couldn’t eat. Every time we did something or would drink, I would go back to the bathroom.” Despite his best efforts, his state worsened throughout the day. “I tried to get ready and tried to stay as much as I could here and tried to see if I could go on court, but every time I get up, I feel dizzy,” Arnaldi said. “It’s a virus, I think, because I was feeling pretty cold. I think I had a fever, like, during the day. I don’t know, to be honest. “I just know that I can’t move, and I can’t eat, and I can’t drink. So, there was really no way that I will be able to play.” Cobolli paid tribute to a tearful Arnaldi. “Matteo is a big inspiration for all of us. He’s an amazing player and amazing professional,” Cobolli said. “He’s, I think, the best person outside the court for how his match preparation, focus, cool-down. He’s one of the best on the tour, for sure.” After the conference, Cobolli took to centre court to have a hit watched on by a decent smattering of spectators that had come for the match but stayed to see the world number 14 keep his eye in. After his quarterfinal victory over Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday, Cobolli will go into the weekend’s final with plenty of rest. “Maybe having almost four days off is a lot, so you lose the rhythm,” he said. “Now, I got practice again. I think I will be ready, for sure, for the final, but I also know that I will be fresh, for sure. “Maybe [the extra time off] will help; maybe not. I’ll tell you after the final.” Adblock test (Why?)

Trump hails jobs surge, says Iran talks ‘going well’

Trump hails jobs surge, says Iran talks ‘going well’

NewsFeed US President Donald Trump hailed stronger-than-expected jobs growth before pivoting to Iran, saying negotiations with Tehran “seem to be going quite well”. Trump offered no further details on the talks as he arrived in Wisconsin for an agriculture event. Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)

Zelenskyy: Putin choosing war by rejecting offer for in-person talks

Zelenskyy: Putin choosing war by rejecting offer for in-person talks

NewsFeed Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned down an offer for in-person talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he sees no point in meeting. Zelenskyy said Russia “has again chosen war” by rejecting his open letter appealing for a face-to-face meeting. Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)