Platner Drops Out, GLP-1 Boom & Emmy Nominations - Thursday, July 9, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Thursday, July 9th, one of the year's most closely watched Senate races just got turned upside down. We'll tell you what's next now that Democrats' top candidate has dropped out. Also, how a tragedy has gone viral, raising big questions about how social media can help and hinder death investigations.
Plus, expectations for this year's unusual hurricane season, two AI companies both releasing their most powerful models yet, and the biggest standouts and snubs from this year's Emmy nominations. Those stories and even more news to know next.
Welcome to The News Worthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
A high-profile candidate who Democrats once believed could help flip the US. Senate has now ended his campaign. Graham Platner has dropped out of the US. Senate race in Maine. Remember, he had been facing intense pressure from all corners of the Democratic Party after a woman he used to date accused him of rape. But even as he withdrew from the race, Platner insisted the accusations against him are false, and he implied that large forces were behind those accusations and said the timeline of it all is political. He said those in power are now using the allegations as an excuse to take away even basic things he needs to run a campaign, like funding, voter data, and other resources. And that's the real reason he's now dropping out of the race. As he put it, quote, We live in a political system that is not built for normal people.
Now it's up to the main Democratic Party to pick his replacement. It will hold a convention to choose a new nominee by the end of this month. Platner says he hopes whoever winds up on the ticket aligns with his politics, taking into account the wishes of voters who backed him last month in a landslide. Of course, Democratic Party leaders will be looking for whoever is most likely to beat Republican US. Senator Susan Collins. She's running for her sixth term representing a state that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the last presidential race. If Democrats are to win control of the US. Senate in November, they'll need to win four seats now held by Republicans and hold on to all of their own. To be continued.
A small town investigation into a teenager's mysterious death is now drawing national scrutiny. 18-year-old Nolan Wells was last seen on the 4th of July going on a boat trip with friends to the popular Horn Island, about 10 miles off the coast of Mississippi. The friends left and boated back to the mainland without him that afternoon. Wells did not have a cell phone with him, so his exact movements from that point are unknown. He was found dead two days later. The local sheriff says the way he understands it from others, Wells chose to stay and that authorities don't suspect foul play, but believe he drowned. It could be weeks before the medical examiner determines an official cause of death. Still, investigators want more information now. They're hoping to speak with other people who were on Horn Island and are looking for any other original photos, videos, and sound recordings. Already, one particular video has gone viral online, showing big crowds on the island and arguing that can be heard in the background. It's not clear, though, if that had anything to do with Wells. And there are other reasons this case is drawing scrutiny. One rescuer who assisted in the search said his blood alcohol level was not at an intoxicated level, and Wells was apparently a good swimmer. Also Wells was black and was with a group of white friends. Though again, it's not clear if that had anything to do with what happened. Now authorities say social media has been a barrier in this case, since some people have been trying to submit tips based on second-hand information from the internet. They're now asking the public to help separate fact from fiction. Meanwhile, Wells' family hired a renowned civil rights lawyer to conduct a separate investigation. Stay tuned.
The US military launched a second night of strikes against Iran, and President Trump is warning of more to come, saying he now considers the ceasefire to be over. And again, it seems Iran is retaliating with strikes on nearby countries to host the American military. The US says these latest strikes are meant to make it harder for Iran to keep threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz. That's of course a key route for global energy supplies. Well, shipping traffic in the Strait has once again come to a halt. And yesterday, oil prices rose 5% in response. As for what happens next, Trump says Iran still wants to make a deal and that he's open to negotiations, while also saying it's a waste of time dealing with Iranian leaders. As of this morning, Iran has said nothing publicly about new talks.