These are the top stories for this week.
Headlines
Senator Lindsey Graham Passes Away at Age 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close Trump ally and the Senate’s leading foreign-policy hawk, died Saturday night of a “brief and sudden illness” just after returning from his tenth wartime visit to Ukraine; Trump called him “a true American Patriot.” Find out More
Graham Replacement Named
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster named Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline, as the replacement for her deceased brother’s seat. Link
House Passes Bill to Eliminate Day Light Saving Time
The House voted 308-117 to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, advancing a years-long push to end the twice-yearly clock change. The bill now heads to the Senate, which passed similar legislation in 2022. Find out More
Trump Orders ICE to Resume Traffic Stops
Senior ICE officials were reportedly surprised when President Trump overturned a DHS pause on immigration vehicle stops that had followed fatal shootings of two people in Maine and Texas. Source
Trump Delivers Primetime Address on Election Integrity
President Trump used a White House address Thursday night to announce the declassification of intelligence he said shows “shocking vulnerabilities” in U.S. elections, and renewed his push for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. Find out More
A U.S. newspaper report says President Trump is considering deploying American ground forces to seize strategic Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz, though the White House has not confirmed any decision. Read More
Thick smoke from more than 100 Canadian wildfires spread into the northeastern and midwestern U.S. Thursday, prompting air quality alerts across 11 states, including New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Find out More
U.S. citizens traveling from the Democratic Republic of Congo must now spend 21 days in another country before entering the U.S., as health officials monitor an Ebola outbreak in the region. Source
A federal judge voided President Trump’s settlement with the IRS after a contractor illegally leaked his tax returns. Source
Politics
The administration sent a War Powers Resolution notice to Congress acknowledging that strikes on Iran resumed July 7, reviving questions over whether Trump needs lawmakers’ approval to continue the campaign. Find out More
Graham’s death upends plans for him to take a Budget Committee gavel changeover and reshuffles the line of succession atop the Senate Judiciary Committee, compounding uncertainty already caused by Sen. Mitch McConnell’s monthlong hospitalization. Find out More
Senate Democrats defeated a motion to advance the annual defense authorization act 50-46, citing frustration over the resumed Iran war and the administration’s failure to seek congressional authorization. Link
A GOP-sponsored amendment to strip $3.3 billion in Israeli security aid failed 104-314, but 103 Democrats — including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi — backed it, splitting party leadership. Read More
President Trump used his primetime speech to allege “stunning” Chinese interference in the 2020 election and a “deep state” cover-up, drawing swift pushback from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Read More
A White House technical aide with access to Trump’s prepared remarks is under federal investigation for allegedly betting on the content of the president’s speeches, press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed. Link
Democrats running to replace Graham Platner as the nominee to take on Republican Susan Collins are calling to defund ICE. Source
U.S. News
A widespread heat dome is building across the Southwest and Great Plains, with meteorologists warning it could trap oppressive, record-threatening temperatures for a week or more. See Details
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order imposing a one-year moratorium on permits for large data centers as the state studies their environmental impact. Find out More
A 65-year-old Washington man was seriously injured after a bull bison charged and tossed him into the air at a Yellowstone campground; the incident was captured on video by a nearby photographer and has gone viral. Find out More
A coalition of state attorneys general filed suit to stop Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the combined company would control nearly a third of cable programming and a third of blockbuster films. Link
26 states have reported cases of Cyclospora, the ‘Explosive Diarrhea’ Parasite. The infection is caused by the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite and spreads when someone consumes food or water contaminated by the feces of an infected individual. Find out More
A second heat wave of the month pushed all-time-high temperatures into cities nationwide, with more than 125 million Americans under heat alerts even as Texas faced simultaneous flash flooding. Source
A Canadian woman was taken into ICE custody after being charged with assaulting a teenager wearing pro-Trump clothing at a New Jersey boardwalk over the July Fourth weekend, officials said. See Details
Business
Apple filed suit alleging OpenAI systematically directed former Apple employees to bring confidential hardware secrets to its device-building efforts, marking a major rupture between the two tech giants. Read More
Stripe and private equity firm Advent International submitted a joint $60.50-per-share bid for PayPal, a 28% premium that sent shares soaring as much as 17% in Wednesday trading. See Details
PayPal shares jumped more than 17% after Reuters reported that Stripe and Advent International are exploring a $53 billion deal to take the payments company private. Find out More
Lawmakers plan to vote next week on the Stop Insider Trading Act, which would bar members of Congress and their families from trading stocks, though Democrats say the measure doesn’t go far enough. Find out More
Consumer prices fell 0.4% in June as energy costs dropped 5.7%, though annual inflation still rose 3.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Link
Speaking at an Axios House summit, BofA CEO Brian Moynihan said affordability concerns are real but that Americans are still spending, calling it a “say-do paradox” in the current economy. Read More
Workers laid off by Amazon and other tech companies are struggling to find new jobs. Source
World News
The two nations exchanged strikes overnight as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed hits on U.S. assets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, while Trump renewed threats against Iranian civilian infrastructure. Find out More
The State Department announced a “whole-of-government” effort to curb the ICC’s ability to operate, calling it a threat to American sovereignty after the court’s Gaza-related investigations. Source
A fire tore through an orphanage in Mohammedia, Algeria, before dawn Thursday, killing 11 children and injuring 19 others, according to Algerian officials. Find out More
The Treasury Department officially designated Mexico’s Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as transnational terrorist organizations, adding to a growing list of cartels sanctioned under the Trump administration’s anti-trafficking push. Source
A team using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope identified a previously unknown exoplanet hiding in archival images dating back at least 11 years, calling the find “serendipitous.” Source
Iran-backed Houthi forces vowed retaliation after Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa’s airport, marking the most serious cross-border escalation between the two sides since 2022. See Details
Entertainment
The long-running ABC soap celebrated its 16,000th episode with a cake-cutting ceremony, adding a new character named after longtime cast member Tristan Rogers as it approaches this year’s Daytime Emmy nominations. Read More
Disney’s Dwayne Johnson-led live-action remake opened to roughly $45-60 million domestically, well short of earlier $75 million-plus projections, arriving less than two years after the billion-dollar animated sequel. See Details
Williams, best known as Officer “Smitty” Smith on “Sanford and Son” and Lester Jenkins on “227,” died Wednesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his representative; no cause of death was disclosed. Source
Tom Cruise is among the celebrities who will take part in a World Cup closing ceremony ahead of this Sunday’s final, which is being held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. See Details
‘Jurassic Park’ actor Sam Neill’s cause of death was revealed as pneumonia. Link
Disney will begin selling tickets July 20 for premium-format “Infinity Vision” screenings of “Avengers: Doomsday,” an unusually early rollout tied to competition with Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part III” for IMAX screens. Read More
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger criticized Bruce Springsteen for turning his concerts into Trump-bashing lectures. Read More
Disgraced singer R Kelly is asking President Trump to commute his 31-year prison sentence for sex abuse convictions. Link
Sports
Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez scored in the final minutes off Messi assists as Argentina overcame a scoreless first half to reach a second straight final, where it will chase back-to-back titles. Argentina will attempt to win back-to-back World Cups when they take on Spain Sunday in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Link
LeBron James told a young fan at Fanatics Fest in New York that the 2026-27 season may not necessarily be his last, calling the decision about his future “big” for him and his family. Link
McGregor’s much-anticipated UFC return lasted just over a minute before a right knee injury forced referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight, handing Max Holloway a TKO win at UFC 329. Read More
Connor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon ended in the first round Saturday when he injured his right knee attempting a jumping kick; he says he intends to rehab and fight again. Source
Utah Jazz guard Trey Alexander was carted off on a stretcher after a collision during Monday’s NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls; his status remains unclear. See Details
The Chicago White Sox selected UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky with the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the franchise’s first No. 1 selection since Harold Baines in 1977. Source
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker homered on his final six swings to defeat the hometown favorite, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber, 12-11, in the finals of the Home Run Derby. Link
Off the Wall
Original artwork that introduced readers to Marvel’s Iron Man broke auction records, selling for a record-breaking $3,875,000. Read More
An NYC artist dressed in a tuxedo to collect garbage from outside Madison Square Garden after the Swift-Kelce wedding, then sold it in sealed plastic cubes for $25-$100 apiece — all 50 sold out. Read More
