News briefs

Tribune News Service on Jul 8, 2026

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Democratic infighting puts party’s midterm targets at risk

WASHINGTON — With President Donald Trump and Republicans on the defensive over the cost of groceries, gasoline, housing and healthcare, Democrats expected to spend the summer building momentum ahead of the midterm elections.

That’s not happening. Instead of assembling a midterms juggernaut, persistent infighting between different factions of Democrats from Maine to Colorado threatens to drown out the party’s messaging and undermine its potential success in November — including its shot at retaking the U.S. Senate.

The crisis is playing out in real time in Maine, where Senate candidate Graham Platner has demanded to have a say in how he is replaced on the ballot following a sexual assault allegation which he denies.

Platner has not yet stepped aside despite mounting pressure from more than two-thirds of Senate Democrats and others within the party to do so before a July 13 deadline to replace him on the ballot.

—Bloomberg News

More Jewish Americans approve of NYC Mayor Mamdani than Israeli PM Netanyahu, poll finds

NEW YORK — More American Jews approve of how NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is doing his job than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a new poll reveals, as younger and more liberal Jews grow increasingly disenchanted with the actions of the Israeli government and the war in Gaza.

A national poll of more than 1,000 Jewish Americans showed 44% view Mamdani favorably compared to 39% who have an unfavorable opinion, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey showed.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, is far underwater with just 32% of American Jews having a favorable view of the right-wing Israeli premier and 59% viewing him negatively.

Mamdani was less popular with the public as a whole, with Americans overall disapproving of him by a 28% to 27% margin, the poll found. Netanyahu was somewhat less unpopular with Americans as a whole with a -18% approval rating, about 10% better than his showing among Jews.

—New York Daily News

Diarrhea-causing stomach parasite has cases across 17 states

Across 17 states, 145 cases of a parasite have been reported between May 1 and June 16, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The actual number of cases is also likely higher than the number of cases reported.

Cyclosporiasis spreads if germs from contaminated feces get into someone’s mouth. This can happen through drinking untreated water or swallowing contaminated swimming water. There also have been links between some fresh produce and the disease.

In the U.S., basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, snow peas and sweet peas all have links to cyclosporiasis outbreaks, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

This can cause watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea according to the clinic. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, bloating, fatigue, low-grade fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.

—The Virginian-Pilot

Little clarity on Iran from Trump, but new help ahead for Ukraine

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and European officials hoping to get clarity on the U.S.-Iran conflict from President Donald Trump at a NATO summit likely left disappointed.

During a Wednesday evening news conference in Ankara, Turkey, the first reporter to question him characterized the Iran standoff as a “strategic dead end for you” and asked why Trump has been unable to fully end it.

“I think we’re doing just the opposite. The Iran war has been a tremendous military success,” Trump replied, before adding without mentioning still-high gas prices that rose after the war started on Feb. 28: “I can only answer the question by saying they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”

By the end of that answer, Trump, somehow, managed to bring up the 2024 U.S. presidential race, noting that his anti-immigration policies were a big reason “we won this election.” Asked earlier Wednesday during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte if a ceasefire with Iran was still in place after the countries traded strikes this week, Trump declared: “To me, I think it’s over.”

—CQ-Roll Call