法国禁止以色列财政部长斯莫特里奇入境

2026年6月9日 23:07 / 联合早报

法国禁止以色列财政部长斯莫特里奇入境

以色列财政部长斯莫特里奇（Bezalel Smotrich）被法国禁止入境。他此前已被另五个国家禁止入境。 （法新社档案照片）

法国外交部长巴罗宣布，法国禁止以色列财政部长斯莫特里奇入境。

法新社报道，巴罗星期二（6月9日）在社媒发文称，斯莫特里奇（Bezalel Smotrich）“积极推动吞并约旦河西岸，并公开主张这一立场，同时推动在约旦河西岸建立新定居点、对加沙进行重新殖民、导致巴勒斯坦权力机构经济崩溃，并对巴勒斯坦民众造成严重后果”。

法国的制裁与英国、加拿大、澳大利亚、挪威和新西兰协调一致，针对“那些对约旦河西岸定居点活动升级及暴力行为负有责任的人”。“这一政策是国际社会绝大多数坚定支持两国方案的国家所无法接受的。”

斯莫特里奇是近几个月来第二名被法国禁止入境的以色列政府成员，此前以色列国家安全部长本-格维尔（Itamar Ben Gvir）于5月23日被禁止入境，他被指嘲讽遭拘留的加沙援助船队活动人士。

法国也禁止四名定居者组织领导人及21名实施暴力的定居者入境。

本-格维尔和斯莫特里奇是以色列总理内坦亚胡右翼联合政府的核心成员，两人早在去年6月就被另外五个国家禁止入境，原因是被指煽动针对巴勒斯坦人的暴力，尤其是在被占领的约旦河西岸。

今年4月到韩国旅游的外国人“全球韩流消费额”高达1.33万亿韩元（约13亿3000新元），其中购物以38.4%居首。 （档案照片）

韩国旅游发展局数据显示，今年4月到韩国旅游的外国人“全球韩流消费额”高达1.33万亿韩元（约13亿3000新元），同比大增54.6%，创单月新高。

韩联社报道，得益于韩国团体防弹少年团（BTS）3月在首尔光化门广场举行回归演出，同月全球韩流消费额史上首破1万亿韩元。之后，防弹少年团于4月在京畿道高阳市启动世巡，推动相关数值再创新高。

所谓“全球韩流消费额”是指，在访韩外国人刷卡额中，排除与旅游无关、住宿和交通等不属于韩流影响范围的消费后得出的数值，覆盖观看表演、购物、文化体验、时尚、观看和参加体育赛事等。

按行业看，4月全球韩流消费额中，购物以38.4%居首，依次为美容健康（22%）、时尚（14%）、生活方式和饮食（便利店、炸鸡、日餐、中餐、咖啡厅等）、韩餐（10.2%）和夜间文化（1.6%）。

House to vote on ICE funding, ending months-long impasse

2026-06-09 10:15 AM EDT / CBS News

By Caitlin Yilek Politics Reporter
Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.

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Washington— The House is set to vote Tuesday on Republicans’ $70 billion bill funding immigration enforcement agencies through the rest of President Trump’s term after the Senate approved it early Friday following weeks of roadblocks.

Barring any last-minute hiccups among House Republicans, passage would bring an end to the months-long stalemate over funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

The House is scheduled to vote on the legislation around 4:30 p.m. On Monday afternoon, the House Rules Committee met to tee it up for floor consideration.

House GOP leaders had initially expected to hold a vote late last week on passage, but delayed taking up the measure until this week.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Monday that he expected the legislation to pass, although he acknowledged that he had a very small margin of error and that attendance during primary season “is a real challenge.”

“We have to fund border enforcement and immigration enforcement, and everybody here knows that, so they’re going to have to put their personal preferences aside to get the job done,” he said.

House Republicans have been waiting for weeks for their Senate counterparts to send over the legislation. Both chambers had hoped to have the bill on President Trump’s desk by Memorial Day in order to meet his June 1 deadline, but those plans were impeded by the president’s request for $1 billion related to construction of a massive ballroom at the White House and the announcement of a nearly $1.8 billion Justice Department fund to pay people who claim they were politically persecuted.

Rare GOP pushback against the president’s priorities forced Senate Republicans to delay votes until after their Memorial Day recess.

Language for ballroom security funding was ultimately stripped from the legislation and the Justice Department said it would no longer pursue the “anti-weaponization” fund. Though the administration’s assertion about no longer pursuing the fund failed to convince some who were skeptical, a number of amendments to formally bar such payouts were defeated during a marathon session of votes in the Senate that stretched from Thursday morning into the early hours of Friday.

Republicans used the budget reconciliation process to fund immigration-related agencies. The process allows them to pass some fiscal legislation by a simple majority in the Senate, bypassing the need for any Democratic votes to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold. Democrats have refused to fund ICE and Border Patrol without reforms.

Jaala Brown contributed to this report.

A股缩量反弹 沪指重返4000点

2026年6月9日 19:22 / 联合早报

中国A股星期二（6月9日）缩量反弹，主要股指均涨逾1%。其中，上证指数高开高走，收盘重新站上4000点之上。图为上海证券交易所，摄于2024年1月。 （彭博社）

中国A股星期二（6月9日）缩量反弹，主要股指均涨逾1%。其中，上证指数高开高走，收盘重新站上4000点之上；创业板指涨近4%。

据中新社报道，截至星期二收盘，上证指数报4010点，涨幅为1.28%；深证成指报15268点，涨幅为3.02%；创业板指报3961点，涨3.93%。

沪深两市成交总额约2万6403亿元（人民币，下同，5003亿新元），较上一个交易日缩量约1524亿元。

陕西巨丰投资资讯有限责任公司投资顾问总监郭一鸣表示，当天A股反弹的核心驱动力来自科技板块的集体爆发。半导体产业链成为市场做多核心主线，相关细分赛道多点开花，展现出较强的板块活跃度。

郭一鸣指出，A股主要股指与科技板块的同步上涨是多重利好共振的结果。其中，隔夜美股科技股率先反弹，伊朗宣布结束对以色列的军事行动，相关因素均为行情修复提供了支撑。

板块方面，当天半导体板块涨幅居前。根据金融数据服务商东方财富统计，半导体板块当天录得6.23%的涨幅。

个股方面，沪硅产业、宏微科技、晶升股份、富创精密等多股当天股价收获涨停板，即涨幅约20%。

郑钦文女王杯网球赛首圈出局 即时世界排名滑落至150开外

2026年6月9日 19:23 / 联合早报

根据此前的报名计划，郑钦文下一站将参加当地时间15日开打的WTA250诺丁汉站。 （路透社）

（伦敦综合电）在英国伦敦举行的女子网球选手协会（WTA）女王杯单打第一圈比赛中，中国名将郑钦文以4比6、6比7（4）输给罗马尼亚选手杰奎琳·克里斯蒂安（Jaqueline Cristian），本赛季草地首秀告负。

本赛季伤愈复出后，郑钦文状态起伏。在刚刚结束的法网中，作为前赛会八强的郑钦文遭遇惨痛失利，在女单首轮不敌来自波兰的资格赛选手玛雅·赫瓦林斯卡（Maja Chwalinska，最后获得法网亚军），仓促结束本赛季红土征程。

世界排名第122位的郑钦文虽然在本场轰出九个爱司球（发球直接得分且对手未触球），但两次关键时刻的发球双误，让她付出了惨重代价。

首盘前四局双方战成2比2。第五局，郑钦文发球遇到了麻烦，接连丢分，被对手拿到三个破发点。随后她挽救了一个破发点，但接下来发球双误，被克里斯蒂安破发。世界排名第38位的杰奎琳之后守住了领先优势，以6比4拿下首盘。

第二盘郑钦文和对手战至抢七局，她在3比4落后时出现发球双误，导致陷入被动，最终告负。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAubRmCNUVg

2025年，郑钦文曾在女王杯闯入单打四强，创造了职业生涯的草地赛事最佳战绩。但由于这次未能保住去年的积分，郑钦文的即时世界排名已下降至150名开外，这也意味着她在下半年的高级别赛事中可能面临从资格赛起步的被动局面。

38岁的梅西会在球队的最后一场热身赛出场，只是不确定时间多长。 （路透社）

（阿拉巴马综合电）阿根廷主帅斯卡洛尼（Scaloni）星期二（6月9日）确认，球星梅西（Messi）将在世界杯前的最后一场热身赛出场。

阿根廷会在新加坡时间星期三（10日）早上与冰岛进行热身赛。斯卡洛尼在赛前记者会上说，这名38岁前锋会出场，只是不确定时间多长。

他说：“梅西会出场，只是我还不确定他会踢多少分钟。我还需要在今天的训练后和他沟通，我们会根据情况决定他的出场时间，以避免任何风险。目前来看，他原则上是会上场的。”

在三天前对阵洪都拉斯的热身赛中，梅西虽然在替补名单上，但并未出场。在回归国家队前，在迈阿密国际（Inter Miami）效力的梅西因左腿后侧肌肉疲劳在比赛中途被换下。

斯卡洛尼继续说：“我们会合理分配明天出场球员的时间，尽量避免意外情况。”

他也确认，帕斯（Paz）、莫利纳（Molina）和蒙铁尔（Montiel）也可以出战对阵冰岛的比赛。这三名球员此前因不同伤病问题，一直在单独训练。

斯卡洛尼还更新了阿尔瓦雷斯（Alvarez）和帕雷德斯（Paredes）的伤情。“朱利安（阿尔瓦雷斯）的情况很好，只是脚踝有些不适，正在逐渐恢复。帕雷德斯也恢复得不错，未来几天可以重新回到合练中。”

斯卡洛尼还没决定顶替巴莱尔迪（Balerdi）人选，这名后卫因小腿伤势在上周离队，无缘世界杯。

斯卡洛尼说，他们会在热身赛后决定他的替补人选。“我们可以补上这个位置，但也会根据其他伤员的恢复情况考虑不同方案。”

阿根廷将在6月17日迎来2026年世界杯首战，对手是阿尔及利亚，随后还将与同在J组的奥地利和约旦争夺出线资格。

点击《联合早报》世界杯专页，获知世界杯比分、赛程和最新新闻等资讯。

国际航协理事长沃尔什：中东局势短期有助巩固新加坡航空枢纽地位

2026年6月9日 19:47 / 联合早报

国际航协理事长沃尔什指出，中东冲突导致区域运力受限，但新加坡航空公司迅速增加往返亚洲与欧洲的航班，承接搭机需求，他认为这对我国的航空枢纽地位是有利的。 （路透社）

尽管中东局势持续动荡，国际航空运输协会理事长沃尔什指出，新加坡在短期内反而从航线与客流重新分布中受惠，进而进一步巩固航空枢纽的地位。

国际航协理事长沃尔什（Willie Walsh）星期一（6月8日）在常年大会媒体圆桌会议上回复《联合早报》询问时说，中东冲突导致区域运力受限，但新加坡航空公司迅速增加往返亚洲与欧洲的航班，承接搭机需求。他认为这对我国的航空枢纽地位是有利的。

他说：“新加坡无疑是当前局势下的受益者之一。”

沃尔什也指出，亚洲航空公司当前面对巨大压力，尤其是区域燃油供应偏紧，推高燃料价格，加剧成本负担，但我国反而在短期内强化了航空枢纽的地位。“这与新航的迅速应对有关，而且这种情况预计还会持续一段时间。”

他补充，樟宜机场整体发展仍具韧性，长期竞争力无须过度担忧。“作为一个枢纽，樟宜机场仍会是赢家。”

中东航空公司料逐步复苏

谈及中东局势的影响，沃尔什指出，油价飙升、空域限制以及区域不稳定，都对中东航空公司造成显著冲击。

根据国际航协最新预测，中东航空公司盈利状况将明显恶化，预计从2025年的72亿美元（约92亿新元）盈利，转为2026年的43亿美元亏损。此外，这个地区的客运需求预计将下降11.4％，运力则减少4.4％。

不过，沃尔什对中东航空逐步恢复表示有信心。他说，虽然中东航空公司全年客运需求预计下滑约11％，但对比今年3月和4月分别大幅下滑60％和40％的情况，显示市场正逐步回稳。

我国推迟征收可持续航空燃料税是明智之举

针对新加坡推迟征收可持续航空燃料税（Sustainable Aviation Fuel levy），沃尔什认为是“明智之举”，此举兼顾消费者的负担。

我国原定今年4月1日起，在售票阶段征收SAF税，但考虑到中东局势带来的不确定性，决定延后至10月1日实施。

我国原先的目标是从今年起，规定所有从新加坡起飞的航班采用SAF，初期目标为占飞机燃油量的1％；到2030年提高至3％至5％，具体比率视全球市场发展和供应情况而定。随着税延后征收，原定1％的初期使用目标将顺延至2027年起实施，但2030年的目标维持不变。

针对SAF政策应采取激励还是强制措施，沃尔什强调，应先推动生产，再考虑强制使用。

他说，若市场尚未形成足够产能，贸然设定强制使用要求不仅难以落实，反而可能推高成本。“在欧洲，我们看到强制政策并未带来产量提升，却导致成本上升，最终由消费者承担。”

他指出，一些业者甚至提前将不使用SAF的潜在罚款成本提前转嫁至票价中，形成“没有环境效益却增加经济负担”的反效果。

他因此认为，各国政府应先通过激励措施促进SAF生产，在供应逐步扩大后，再评估是否引入强制机制。

沃尔什说：“如果一种燃料根本不存在，却要求航空公司使用，这本身就不合理。政策应以数据为基础，才能取得更理性的结果。”

去年全球核武支出创新高 美国增加最多

2026年6月9日 19:33 / 联合早报

奥斯陆和平研究所在最新的年度报告中指出，2025年全球涉及至少一个国家的冲突多达65起，是二战以来的最高水平。其中，加沙地区（图）被以色列长期轰炸后遭受严重破坏，无数居民流离失所。 （法新社）

（日内瓦／奥斯陆综合电）最新国际统计显示，全球九个核武国家去年对核武库的总支出再创新高，达到近1190亿美元（约1529亿新元）。同比增加近170亿美元，增幅达两成。其中，美国的开支超过了其他国家的总和。

主张消除核武的非政府组织联盟“国际废除核武运动”（International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons，简称ICAN）星期二（6月9日）发表最新年度报告。报告警告，在地缘政治紧张局势加剧之际，新一轮核军备竞赛已出现迹象，各国也计划在未来数十年继续增加相关投入。

ICAN的核裁军项目主任斯奈德说，核军备不断扩张，加上人工智能（AI）可能提高使用核武器的风险，这个趋势令人深感忧虑。

目前九个拥有核武的国家是英国、中国、法国、印度、以色列、朝鲜、巴基斯坦、俄罗斯和美国。报告指出，这些国家2025年核武开支均有所增加。

报告指出，美国去年对核武的支出超过了其他国家的总和，达692亿美元，比前一年增加124亿美元。其次是中国，去年支出估计为135亿美元；紧接着是英国的126亿美元，俄罗斯95亿美元。

ICAN指出，过去五年，这九个核武国在核武库上花费了超过4700亿美元；预计这方面的支出未来还会继续增长。

斯奈德认为，在全球人道主义体系面对资金大减的冲击时，如此庞大的核武支出更令人感到震惊。她说：“这些国家在2025年的（核武）支出相等于联合国32年的运营预算。”

斯奈德进一步指出，去年用于核武器的单日开支，就足以购买粮食帮助200多万人。

去年全球冲突多达65起 二战以来最多

挪威的奥斯陆和平研究所（The Peace Research Institute Oslo，简称PRIO）也于同日发表报告，指去年全球涉及至少一个国家的冲突多达65起，是二战以来最多。非洲仍是受冲突影响最严重的地区，共有29起冲突，其次是亚洲、中东、美洲和欧洲。

根据这份《冲突趋势》年度报告，国家之间的冲突数量升至80年来最高水平，达到八起，较前一年翻倍。其中包括印度与巴基斯坦、阿富汗与巴基斯坦，以及柬埔寨与泰国的边境冲突。此外，还包括俄罗斯与乌克兰的战争，以及以色列在叙利亚的军事行动。

据报告，去年是冷战结束以来第三致命的一年，约24万5000人死于战斗或政治暴力。其中约7万6500人死于针对平民的袭击，远多于2024年的1万4200人。

PRIO研究员鲁斯塔德指出，过去五六年里，全球同时有好几场大规模冲突，世界根本没有喘息的机会。“全球范围内高强度冲突持续不断，这与以往的情况很不一样。”

她还点名以色列“显然是目前全球最具侵略性的国家之一”，因它卷入了加沙、叙利亚、黎巴嫩、伊朗等地，以及针对胡塞武装的各种冲突。

鲁斯塔德也说，美国总统特朗普再次掌权后，“不仅带来了攻击和更多暴力，还竖起了贸易壁垒”。

她指出：“我们在扼制合作。联合国安全理事会眼下没有作为。我们面对的是一个越发极化的世界。”

中国朱雀二号遥六火箭发射成功 将开展手机直连卫星试验

2026年6月9日 19:51 / 联合早报

中国朱雀二号改进型遥六运载火箭星期二（6月9日）在甘肃省酒泉市发射成功，把两颗卫星送入预定轨道，以开展手机直连卫星试验。 （中新社）

中国朱雀二号改进型遥六运载火箭星期二（6月9日）在甘肃省酒泉市发射成功，把两颗卫星送入预定轨道，以开展手机直连卫星试验。

据新华社、中新社报道，朱雀二号改进型遥六运载火箭星期二下午4时23分，在东风商业航天创新试验区点火升空，以“一箭双星”方式将千帆DTC01星和中国移动02星送入预定轨道，发射任务取得成功。

朱雀二号改进型遥六运载火箭是两级低温加长型液体运载火箭，也是中国现役液氧甲烷中型运载火箭主力型号。箭体直径3.35米，整流罩最大直径4.2米，具备近地轨道六吨、500公里太阳同步轨道四吨运载能力。

这款火箭可灵活配置传统构型卫星一箭多星、平板卫星高频次多星组网等任务需求，并可与朱雀三号重复使用运载火箭形成组合式发射服务方案。

据悉，此次任务是朱雀二号运载火箭的第八次飞行，围绕任务快速响应、星箭协同设计、载荷环境优化及可靠性提升、成本优化等方向，完成了多项技术改进。

本次发射的两颗卫星中，千帆DTC01星由上海垣信卫星科技有限公司运营；中国移动02星归属中国移动通信集团有限公司，将开展手机宽带直连卫星、天地网络融合等技术试验验证。

前期，中国工业和信息化部指导完成了相关卫星的国内频率协调，并颁发了空间无线电台执照和无线电频率使用许可。

Maine Democrats decide fate of Senate candidate dogged by explosive allegations

The oyster farmer and combat veteran is expected to win despite no Democrats rescinding their endorsements

2026-06-09T05:00:59-04:00 / Fox News

By Paul Steinhauser, Andrew Mark Miller Fox News

Published June 9, 2026 5:00am EDT

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397901034112

SEE IT: Maine voters sound off on Platner’s divisive campaign as crucial primary nears: ‘He’s a disgrace’

With Maine’s Democratic Senate primary one day away, voters tell Fox News they’re divided over whether Graham Platner’s controversies are disqualifying or overblown.

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BANGOR, Maine — It’s judgment day for Graham Platner, the embattled Democratic Senate candidate in left-leaning Maine who is aiming to oust longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a crucial race that’s among a handful that will determine if the GOP holds its slim Senate majority in the midterm elections.

Platner, an oyster farmer and military combat veteran who is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other top progressive champions, is facing a slew of controversies, which could make his expected Democratic primary victory in Maine much more interesting than originally expected.

Meanwhile, one week after President Donald Trump’s endorsement-winning streak in high-profile Republican primaries was snapped, the president’s immense clout over his party is facing another key test in South Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial nomination faceoff.

Those two ballot box showdowns will take top billing and grab plenty of national headlines as Maine and South Carolina, along with Nevada and North Dakota, hold primary elections on Tuesday.

PLATNER TO SUPPORTERS: ‘MAINE, YOU HAVE MY BACK’

Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks to an overflow crowd outside a campaign event Sunday, June 7, 2026, in Portland, Maine.(Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo)

Platner has been playing defense for the past month, amid mounting controversy. It includes 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.

The negative headlines have triggered some Democrats in the nation’s capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods. The candidate this past weekend thanked Maine voters for continuing to support him.

“When hurtful things I said on the internet a decade ago came out into the public, as I shared my personal journey through PTSD and darkness of recovery and accountability and growth, Maine had my back,” Platner said at a rally Friday not far from his hometown in Down East, Maine.

“Now, as every single piece of that past and journey gets dug up, litigated, and weaponized, you have my back. And when politically motivated, serious and false accusations are made against me. Maine, you have my back.”

SEE IT: MAINE VOTERS SOUND OFF ON PLATNER CONTROVERSIES

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks to supporters at a rally in Bar Harbor, Maine, on June 5, 2026.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from his three tours of duty in the war in Iraq with the Marines and one tour with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after they made headlines last fall soon after he launched his Senate campaign.

And Platner has said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007 while drinking with fellow Marines stationed in Croatia. He added that he covered up the tattoo with a new design after learning last year that it resembled a Nazi symbol. But new allegations from an ex-girlfriend raise questions about Platner’s timeline regarding knowledge of the tattoo.

Rep. Ro Khanna, the progressive leader from California who organized Friday’s rally with Platner, was asked by Fox News Digital whether he’s concerned if the current allegations, and any potential future ones, could sink Platner’s campaign and hurt Democrats’ hopes of winning back the Senate.

“I’m more concerned about making it clear that we’re opposed to misogyny, those relationships were toxic and volatile, there’s no excuse for that,” Khanna said. “I talked to Graham, and he says he was at a very dark period, he had come back from two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantryman seeing violence and death. That doesn’t excuse it.”

SEE IT: DEM SENATORS DODGE ON BACKING PLATNER AS MAINE CANDIDATE’S SCANDAL CLOUDS FINAL DAYS BEFORE PRIMARY

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6397687673112

But Khanna noted that Platner said “he really grew as a person when he came back to Maine, and he was an oyster farmer, and he found peace, and he is ashamed of that period. To me, that suggests someone taking accountability and improving their lives, and we need that redemption in this country. And I agree with a lot of his economic policies, that we should be taxing the billionaires, we should be focusing on the working class.”

Platner has been considered the all-but-certain Democratic nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by longtime Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party establishment, dropped out of the race earlier this spring after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.

He’s facing two long-shot rivals for the nomination in Tuesday’s primary, but Mills’ name remains on the ballot, which she highlighted in a recent interview. A source in Mills’ wider political orbit confirmed to Fox News last week that the governor was receiving calls urging her to get back in the race amid Platner’s controversies. But there’s no active campaign effort on behalf of Mills.

Maine voters Fox News reporters spoke with ahead of the rally were divided on whether Platner’s controversies would impact their opinions of the candidate and whether the allegations would weaken his ability to defeat Collins.

Collins, returning to Maine on Friday after a busy week on Capitol Hill where she reached a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive vote in the Senate, was asked by reporters about the latest allegations facing Platner.

“The allegations in the latest story are troubling,” Collins responded. “And I believe that Graham Platner has a lot of questions to answer.”

THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine stands for an interview with Fox News Digital in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 10, 2026.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Platner is facing plenty of incoming political fire from Republican groups. A super PAC aligned with Collins has been blasting Platner, running ads spotlighting his multiple controversies.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) charged that Platner is a “fraud.”

“He’s preaching about living a small but decent life growing up in Maine. The truth? Graham Platner is an elitist whose parents sent him to boarding school in Connecticut and bought him a house,” the NRSC wrote.

And the Republican National Committee (RNC) also targeted Platner.

“Graham Platner says his violent and erratic past is being “weaponized” against him. Platner said he would rape someone to show his dominance and “rape was about power,” the RNC research team wrote on X, pointing to the latest allegations against the candidate.

Despite the allegations and the incoming fire from the GOP, no Democratic politicians who have backed Platner have rescinded their endorsements.

“We need to unite and realize that the goal is defeating Susan Collins. And everyone from Schumer to Sanders is unified around that goal,” Khanna told Fox News Digital.

Platner has drawn large crowds and built a healthy fundraising war chest, and Democrats see Maine as a crucial pickup opportunity as they aim to win back the Senate majority.

But beating Collins, a moderate who is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate and has a history of voting against President Donald Trump’s agenda, won’t be easy. Six years ago, public opinion polls indicated the senator was headed to defeat, but Collins defied expectations and won re-election by topping then-Democratic state House Speaker Sara Gideon by nine points.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394781602112

There’s a crowded and competitive field of Democrats running for their party’s gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed the term-limited Mills. On the Republican side, Bobby Charles — former federal investigator — leads eight other candidates, including Jonathan Bush, nephew of the late President George H.W. Bush.

Also in the spotlight, the Democratic primary in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, in the race to replace moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who announced last year that he would not seek re-election due to political polarization.

Republicans, who are aiming to hold their razor-thin majority in the House, view the mostly rural district which Trump carried in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections, as a top pickup opportunity. Former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage is uncontested for the GOP nomination.

In South Carolina, Trump’s endorsement is in the spotlight.

The president, a week and a half ago, handed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette 11th-hour support as she seeks to succeed a top Trump ally, term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette announces her bid for the Republican nomination for governor at The Smokestack at Judson Mill in South Carolina on July 14, 2025.(Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)

Evette is facing off in the GOP primary against a handful of top rivals. They are longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, nationally known Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and multimillionaire businessman Rom Reddy.

Since no candidate was expected to top 50% of the primary vote and land a majority, the top two finishers will advance to the June 23 Republican runoff.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But his last-minute endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa — which came on the same day he also backed Evette — in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to muscle the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

In the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, the major contenders had long been highlighting their support for Trump and his agenda, in hopes of landing his support.

Trump, after staying neutral for months, endorsed Evette, praising her as an “America First Patriot” and a “WINNER” in his announcement.

After Trump backed Evette, Mace said that her very vocal push last year for the Justice Department to release the files related to its probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributed to the president’s backing of her rival.

Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Henry McMaster.(Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service)

“I know I put the likelihood of an endorsement on the line when I demanded transparency on the Epstein files,” the lawmaker wrote. “I demanded it because you deserved the truth — ALL OF IT,” Mace emphasized in a post on X.

Trump, in a social media post endorsing Evette, also said he expected Evette to choose Henry McMaster Jr., the governor’s son, as her running mate for lieutenant governor.

The comment by the president led to blowback in South Carolina political circles and speculation that McMaster, who succeeded then-Gov. Nikki Haley when she stepped down to serve as U.N. ambassador during Trump’s first term and who is in his 10th year as governor, was trying to give his son a political boost.

But McMaster denied any deal or pressure, and Evette has said she wouldn’t name any running mate until after the primary is over.

And on Friday, the younger McMaster took his name out of contention, saying it was “incredibly humbling” to be mentioned as a possible lieutenant governor candidate, but that “now is simply not the right time.”

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The winner of the Republican gubernatorial nomination will be considered the clear favorite in November’s general election in South Carolina.

State Rep. Jermaine Johnson, trial attorney and 2010 gubernatorial candidate William Mullins McLeod Jr., and businessman Billy Webster, who served as chief of staff to then-Democratic Gov. Richard Riley, are running for their party’s nomination.

Longtime Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is the clear favorite in the Republican Senate primary, but is facing a tougher-than-expected challenge from South Carolina businessman Mark Lynch in a race that has devolved into mudslinging.

In Nevada, incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is expected to fend off a handful of primary challengers as he seeks re-election. On the Democratic side, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is the clear favorite over Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill.

And in solidly red North Dakota, there is a competitive GOP house primary for the state’s at-large district.

Fox News Digital’s Alexis McAdams, Sally Persons, Jessica Sonkin and Luke Trevisan contributed to this report.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.