INTERNACIONAL
Biden confidant under fire for Nazi tattoo defense in latest Graham Platner fallout: ‘Disgusting’
Democrats rally behind scandal-plagued Graham Platner in Maine Senate race
Democratic candidate Graham Platner maintains the support of top Democrats for the Maine Senate seat, despite his controversial past. He faces multiple scandals, including a Nazi-linked tattoo, a widespread sexting scandal and accusations of praising Hamas’s raid on Israel. As the November election against Senator Susan Collins approaches, the Democratic Party’s unwavering endorsement highlights their commitment to winning the crucial seat, though voters will weigh Platner’s actions.
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Former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, is facing fierce pushback online after jumping into the growing controversy surrounding Maine Senate Democratic nominee Graham Platner’s Nazi-linked tattoo, attempting to defend and explain away the Democrat’s disputed ink.
«The fact that a Biden WH Chief of Staff Democrat is comfortable downplaying a Nazi tattoo from a different Democrat tells you everything you need to know about today’s Democrats,» posted Prager University contributor Shabbos Kestenbaum.
Klain sparked a fight with the Republican Jewish Coalition Wednesday when he defended Platner on the group’s Instagram post condemning the candidate and calling on Democrats to withdraw their support. Platner has denied the tattoo was intended as a Nazi symbol, even as multiple people familiar with the candidate have identified it as an SS skull-and-crossbones design, which he has since covered.
«This is just a partisan attack,» Klain wrote. «The tattoo was a skull and crossbones to remember his fallen comrades from his service in Afghanistan.»
GRAHAM PLATNER BLAMES NAZI TATTOO ON MILITARY ‘CULTURE,’ DRAWS BACKLASH FROM GOP VETERANS
President Joe Biden walks with Chief of Staff Ron Klain along the Colonnade of the White House in 2021. (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Klain served as Biden’s chief of staff from 2021 to 2023, before becoming Airbnb’s chief legal officer. He was appointed to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council by Biden in January 2025 before President Donald Trump removed him nearly four months later.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Council is the presidentially appointed board that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The exchange ignited a firestorm on social media, where critics argued Klain’s defense reflected a broader unwillingness among Democrats to distance themselves from Platner amid the growing controversy.
«Here’s former Biden WH Chief of Staff, and @Airbnb Chief Legal Officer, Ron Klain whitewashing Graham Platner’s Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. This, after hosting a fundraiser for Platner last week. As a former United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council @HolocaustMuseum member, Klain absolutely knows better,» RJC posted to X of the exchange.
WATCH: DEM SENATORS EXCUSE PLATNER’S CONDUCT AT CRISIS HUDDLE WITH EMBATTLED MAINE CANDIDATE
Graham Platner and his wife Amy Gertner acknowledge the crowd at his watch party after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate at a YMCA in Blue Hill, Maine, on June 9, 2026. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
«This is a disgusting lie from Ron Klain and @Airbnb should be deeply concerned someone this dishonest is working for the company in a sensitive role,» posted Hudson Institute adjunct fellow Josh Block.
«What has become of us when prominent Jews defend Nazi sympathizers? I am disgusted. Ex-Biden chief Ron Klain defends Graham Platner’s Nazi tattoo,» wrote former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
«It was NOT to honor his fallen comrades, which is wildly manipulative lie,» wrote Republican communicator Matt Whitlock on X.
SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT
Graham Platner addresses the crowd at his watch party after winning the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate at a YMCA in Blue Hill, Maine, on June 9, 2026. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
«You do not have to debase yourself for Platner. Pick your values over partisanship. Focus on other elections. This man is not worth your self-respect,» wrote columnist Alex Zeldin.
«Worse: The highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the U.S., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, still endorses Platner and has refused to revoke his support,» wrote Antisemitism Watch founder Trish Posner.
Several of Platner’s ex-girlfriends have alleged the embattled nominee referred to his tattoo as «my Totenkopf» because of his belief that his unit shared similarities to the Nazi SS paramilitary forces.
During his victory speech Tuesday, Platner acknowledged the controversy that has followed him while on the campaign trail.
«Redemption is not just some simple or easy destination. It’s a journey. I’ve made mistakes in my life, mistakes that I regret, that I live with, that I continue to learn from and I’m still far from perfect,» said Platner. «But every day I wake up and I try to be a little bit better and a little bit kinder than I was the day before and if you give me the chance, I will be a senator for the people who cannot afford to buy a senator.»
A string of controversies have followed Platner as he eyes to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
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In the heat of the primary race, Reddit posts surfaced detailing his past inflammatory comments, while he was also accused of physical misconduct, including aggressive behavior, with a former romantic partner. Platner denied those accusations.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ron Klain, Airbnb and Graham Platner for comment.
benjamin netanyahu, administration, graham platner, issues, biden brink
INTERNACIONAL
EXCLUSIVE: Legal group tells NYPD cops they can contact ICE directly despite blue city’s sanctuary rules
Tom Homan criticizes NYC mayor over ‘sanctuary city’ pride
Border czar Tom Homan criticizes NYC Mayor Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, for his ‘pride’ in New York being a sanctuary city. Homan argues that these policies prevent cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, potentially leading to tragic consequences, exemplified by the Laken Riley case. He emphasizes the importance of law and order.
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EXCLUSIVE: A conservative legal group is telling New York City police officers they can contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directly, even if local sanctuary policies say otherwise, releasing a new guide as border czar Tom Homan prepares a major immigration enforcement surge in the nation’s largest city.
Fox News Digital has obtained an unreleased 35-page handbook titled «Law Enforcement Officer Immigration Cooperation Guide» from America First Legal (AFL) that tells state and local police officers they can share a person’s immigration-status information directly with ICE even if New York City or other sanctuary city policies say otherwise.
The guide argues that Section 1373 of federal law bars state and local governments from preventing officers from sharing citizenship or immigration-status information with federal immigration authorities like ICE.
TOM HOMAN WARNS ICE SURGE COMING TO NEW YORK CITY AS MAMDANI BOASTS ABOUT SANCTUARY STATUS
White House border czar Tom Homan attends a news conference along the southern border. (Mike Blake/Reuters, File)
America First Legal is a nonprofit which describes itself as «founded to unapologetically and boldly defend the rights of everyday Americans.»
The guide arrives days after Homan revealed he had reviewed plans to deploy «more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen» into New York City after Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order reinforcing the city’s sanctuary-status policies.
The guide repeatedly cites Section 1373 of federal immigration law, arguing that state and local governments «may not prohibit, or in any way restrict» officials from sending immigration-status information to federal authorities.
DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST
Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building. According to White House border czar Tom Homan, ICE will increase its operations in New York City due to its status as a sanctuary city. (Getty Images, File)
It tells officers they may contact ICE’s 24-hour Law Enforcement Support Center to verify a person’s immigration status using only a name and date of birth and says officers may do so «regardless of any local directive telling you not to,» according to the document obtained by Fox News Digital.
The release comes as the Trump administration prepares to dramatically increase immigration enforcement in New York.
Homan told Fox News last week that a significant ICE operation is coming to the city after self-described democratic socialist Mamdani reaffirmed New York’s sanctuary policies.
NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI RELEASES AUDIT ACCUSING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS OF MISLEADING TACTICS
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Trump administration continue to clash over immigration enforcement. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images, File)
«It’s coming,» Homan said. «There’s going to be a surge, and there needs to be a surge.»
While Homan declined to discuss operational details, he said ICE would not back away from enforcing immigration law despite opposition from city leaders.
The guide comes as Mamdani and the Trump administration continue to clash over immigration enforcement.
Mamdani’s Executive Order 13 directs the NYPD to review, update and train officers on department policies governing communication, cooperation and coordination with federal immigration authorities.
The order says the city believes «the aggressive tactics that certain non-local law enforcement agencies use in pursuing civil immigration enforcement actions… hinder public safety by creating a culture of fear.»
America First Legal argues those local rules cannot lawfully prevent an officer from voluntarily sharing immigration-status information with ICE because federal law supersedes conflicting local policies.
The guide also argues sanctuary policies could create legal risks for the officials who enforce them. AFL contends some officials could face federal criminal charges for obstructing immigration enforcement and that victims of crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants released despite ICE detainers could, in some cases, sue those officials under federal civil RICO law.
The organization is also inviting officers who believe they were threatened, disciplined or retaliated against for cooperating with ICE to seek confidential legal representation.
«Politicians who hide behind sanctuary policies are not above the law, and they have no right to bully or gag the officers who are trying to keep their communities safe,» AFL senior counsel James Rogers said in a statement accompanying the guide.
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Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal, said officers «should never be forced to choose between following federal law and following unlawful directives to appease politicians committed to sanctuary policies.»
New York City Hall did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this reporting.
sanctuary cities, illegal immigrants, new york city, homeland security, zohran mamdani, tom homan, police and law enforcement, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Irán informó que un petrolero explotó tras chocar con una mina marina en el Estrecho de Ormuz
Las autoridades iraníes anunciaron este domingo que una mina explotó al paso de un petrolero en el estrecho de Ormuz, según informaron fuentes de la Defensa iraní al portal especializado Defence Press y a la agencia semioficial Mehr. La explosión ocurrió en torno al mediodía y no hay constancia de víctimas por ahora, ni más datos sobre el barco más allá de que “se desvió de la ruta especificada por Irán” en su paso por el estrecho.
El tráfico en Ormuz sigue en mínimos históricos debido al doble bloqueo impuesto por Irán y Estados Unidos desde la reanudación de las hostilidades. Según datos de MarineTraffic, el tráfico por el estrecho se redujo el viernes a solo seis cruces confirmados, una caída del 60% respecto al día anterior.
Cinco de esos seis buques siguieron el plan unilateral iraní —la ruta designada por Teherán para el paso de las embarcaciones—, lo que puso de manifiesto la continua concentración del tráfico a lo largo de ese corredor específico. En paralelo, el estrecho de Bab el Mandeb, en la entrada del mar Rojo, registró 49 cruces confirmados, entre ellos cinco buques autorizados, 11 clandestinos y cuatro tránsitos no oficiales, de acuerdo con datos recogidos por la agencia oficial turca Anatolia.
El incidente se produce en medio de una disputa que se arrastra desde hace meses por el control de la navegación en Ormuz, corredor por el que normalmente circula cerca del 20% del petróleo comercializado por vía marítima en el mundo. Irán restringió el paso por la vía cuando comenzó la guerra el 28 de febrero, disparando contra petroleros y cargueros, lo que disparó los precios del petróleo durante todo el conflicto.
Tras la firma de un acuerdo de alto el fuego provisional en junio, estalló una disputa por el control del estrecho: Irán exigió que los barcos usaran una ruta cerca de su litoral y advirtió que podría cobrar tarifas, mientras los buques navegaban cada vez más por una ruta meridional junto a la costa de Omán, dentro de una operación de vigilancia de Estados Unidos. Cuando Irán atacó algunas de esas embarcaciones, Washington reanudó los ataques contra las defensas costeras iraníes y luego amplió sus objetivos hacia puentes e infraestructura en el sur y el centro del país.
Tras la firma de un acuerdo de alto el fuego provisional en junio, estalló una disputa por el control del estrecho: Irán exigió que los barcos usaran una ruta cerca de su litoral y advirtió que podría cobrar tarifas, mientras los buques navegaban cada vez más por una ruta meridional junto a la costa de Omán, dentro de una operación de vigilancia de Estados Unidos. Cuando Irán atacó algunas de esas embarcaciones, Washington reanudó los ataques contra las defensas costeras iraníes y luego amplió sus objetivos hacia puentes e infraestructura en el sur y el centro del país.
A comienzos de julio, Teherán volvió a declarar cerrado el estrecho y Estados Unidos restableció el bloqueo naval sobre puertos y buques iraníes en la zona, medida que había sido suspendida tras el memorando de entendimiento alcanzado a mediados de junio.
La incertidumbre en Ormuz golpea de lleno a las economías del Golfo Pérsico, que dependen fuertemente de la exportación de hidrocarburos. Ante el cierre parcial del estrecho, países como Kuwait han buscado alternativas para sostener su producción: la petrolera estatal Kuwait Petroleum Corporation firmó recientemente un acuerdo de infraestructura de oleoductos valorado en 16.000 millones de dólares con los fondos internacionales Blackstone, KKR y Brookfield, en un intento por diversificar sus rutas de exportación.
La escalada en Ormuz también repercutió en otros puntos calientes de la región: los rebeldes hutíes de Yemen, respaldados por Irán, incrementaron sus ataques contra buques y bases sauditas en el estrecho de Bab el Mandeb, aumentando la presión sobre la otra vía marítima clave para el comercio energético.
En paralelo, Irán y Omán mantuvieron el fin de semana varias rondas de conversaciones técnicas en Teherán para intentar definir mecanismos que garanticen la navegación segura por Ormuz, aunque sin que hasta el momento se hayan registrado cambios en el tráfico marítimo de la zona. Un funcionario regional involucrado en la mediación calificó la actual pausa en los combates como una “señal positiva” para destrabar ese tipo de acuerdos, aunque advirtió que aún no está claro si se trata de una tregua duradera o de una simple pausa operativa.
Environment
European wildfires force more than 250K evacuations across Spain, France
Wildfires are sweeping across Spain and France, forcing more than 250,000 people to evacuate. One blaze is threatening France’s famed Bordeaux wine region, while Spain has declared a national emergency. France has deployed the military, and the Tour de France has been shortened as firefighters battle the massive blazes.
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More than a quarter-million people have been driven from their homes in southwest France as a massive wildfire barrels toward the famed wine capital of Bordeaux, with officials warning the fast-moving inferno has become so fierce it’s creating its own winds and behaving erratically.
French authorities ordered another 55,000 people to evacuate overnight Sunday from communities south of Bordeaux, bringing the total number of evacuees in the region to about 250,000. Gusty winds, dry conditions and repeated heat waves have fueled a fire that has burned out of control since midweek.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said firefighters faced a «difficult» night and warned Sunday that «the situation remains very unfavorable.»
EUROPE’S FIRES REVEAL DEADLY MIX OF RECORD HEAT, HUMAN ERROR, ARSON AND LAND MISMANAGEMENT
Firefighters spray water in a burning forest near Lacanau, southwestern France, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
«The fire again became extremely virulent again and unpredictable, generating its own winds and advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area,» Nunez posted on X, adding that the blaze «became calmer by the end of the night.»
The fire has now burned an estimated 42,000 hectares, or about 162 square miles — roughly four times the size of Paris — in the Gironde region. Bordeaux Mayor Thomas Cazenave said the flames came within about 9 miles of the city, prompting officials to partially close a major highway into and out of the region.
More than 2,500 firefighters, backed by 18 planes and helicopters, are working to slow the fire’s advance. France has also deployed 1,500 soldiers to help clear vegetation and build firebreaks, while several European countries have sent aircraft and firefighting crews to assist.
FRANCE RECORDS MORE THAN 5,700 EXCESS DEATHS DURING HISTORIC EARLY SUMMER HEAT WAVE
Nunez said 450 volunteers have also pitched in to help.
«We came to lend a hand because if it were our region, we’d want others to do the same,» 65-year-old farmer Pascal Roudier told Reuters. «And given the scale of the disaster, we think our efforts are very welcome too.»
Firefighters battle a wildfire near Marcheprime, outside, Bordeaux, France, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
The Bordeaux-area fire is one of several major wildfires burning across France. A separate blaze in the neighboring Landes region has forced another 36,000 people to evacuate, while nearly 3,000 others have left their homes in southern France’s Var region along the Mediterranean coast.
Neighboring Spain is facing its own wildfire emergency.
A firefighter carries a hose while battling a wildfire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, west of Madrid, Spain, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Authorities there have evacuated about 116,000 people in recent days as fires burned across the Valencia region and west of Madrid. A fast-moving fire in a Valencia suburb killed one man Saturday, marking Spain’s first wildfire death in the latest wave of fires.
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Earlier this month, 13 people were killed in southern Spain in the country’s deadliest wildfire in recent memory.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
france, europe, fires disasters, natural disasters, world
EXCLUSIVE: Legal group tells NYPD cops they can contact ICE directly despite blue city’s sanctuary rules
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