Graham Platner says campaign will ‘reflect on the best path forward’ after sexual assault allegation
(MAINE) — Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner on Monday pushed back on an allegation of sexual assault, calling it “categorically false,” adding that he is “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
In a report from Politico published on Monday, Jenny Racicot, a former girlfriend, alleged that Platner, while they were dating five years ago, forced her into having sex without her consent after she had repeatedly called for him to stop.
ABC News has not confirmed the contents of the Politico story.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, seen from the Theodore Roosevelt Bride in Washington, D.C. September 15, 2026. (Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the Kennedy Center could “close” or be “ripped down” if his administration doesn’t receive recognition on the performing arts center as tensions over his name being removed mount.
“I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition. Because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’ll end up being ripped down,” the president told reporters on the tarmac in North Carolina.
Trump claimed that the Kennedy Center was a “mess” without his intervention and “has lost 10s of millions of dollars, even hundreds of millions of dollars,” comparing it to New York’s Carnegie Hall.
The president’s comments come after a federal judge on Tuesday blocked the performing arts center’s board from adding a tribute to Trump on the building or site. He responded by saying he wouldn’t spend congressionally approved funding for the center’s renovation unless the building also bears his name.
Congress last year appropriated $257 million for the renovation.
About an hour after the judge’s ruling Tuesday, the board, which is controlled by Trump appointees, voted to close the center immediately for renovations, citing safety concerns after a piece of plaster from the ceiling of the grand foyer fell during a heavy rainstorm earlier this month.
On Tuesday, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said Trump “threw a tantrum because he lost in court” when discussing the Kennedy Center meeting.
“He wasn’t pleased with it. He was very explicit with his words, and I responded equally as explicit. He is in contempt of court for what he’s doing now in trying to just simply go over and close the Kennedy Center and to have people leave the center,” Beatty told reporters on the House steps Tuesday night.
Beatty said “there was a heated debate” during the meeting.
On Wednesday, fencing was seen being installed around the main building’s entrance.
Construction workers build scaffolding near the sign for the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge on Friday denied the Department of Justice’s request to lift an order requiring the removal of President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center.
The Trump administration still faces a deadline of Friday to remove Trump’s name from the building.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
The U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters is seen July 29, 2013, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Coast Guard and FBI are investigating after two oil tankers bound for the U.S. were hit with suspected cyberattacks last month, prompting American authorities to launch investigations into both incidents, sources told ABC News.
On Aug. 21, one of the tankers, described as a “foreign-flagged commercial vessel” was boarded by a “highly specialized team” of U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement officers, cyber protection members and an FBI cyber team in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a joint statement from both agencies.
“The measures were designed to ensure integrity of the vessel’s operational and information technology systems following indications that the vessel’s network were compromised by foreign cyber actors,” the statement said.
That vessel was in the Strait of Gibraltar when it was hacked, according to sources, and lost communication for over 30 hours.
The joint statement said the ship’s crew members cooperated with authorities and were “critical partners in helping to ensure the threats were mitigated” and concluded: “Currently, there are no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts.”
Sources told ABC News that another tanker that was hit by a cyberattack was boarded by U.S. officials on Aug. 24. to conduct a similar assessment.
Authorities are investigating the possibility that Iran or another actor — seeking to exploit the ongoing conflict between Iran and U.S. — was involved in attacks, according to the sources.
“Currently, there are no reports of operational disruptions, vessel instability, physical danger to crews, or environmental impacts,” the joint statement released by the Coast Guard and FBI said.
