Lindsey Graham Passes, Sail250, & Peanut Butter Art

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Adam Rogers
July 13, 2026

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who served in the Senate for more than two decades and became one of the chamber's most influential voices on defense and foreign policy, died Saturday after a sudden illness. He was 71. Emergency responders were called to his Capitol Hill home for a reported cardiac arrest.
Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving four terms in the House. He chaired both the Senate Judiciary and Budget committees during his career and evolved from an early critic of Donald Trump into one of the president's closest allies and advisers.
His death leaves a vacancy in South Carolina's Senate delegation just months before the November election. Under state law, Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint an interim senator, while Republicans will choose a new nominee to replace Graham on the ballot.

The international Sail250 celebration reaches its final stop this week as more than 60 tall ships and military vessels from over 20 countries arrive in Boston Harbor, concluding a months-long voyage commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Visitors can tour many of the vessels, watch a parade of ships, attend waterfront festivals and concerts, and see nightly fireworks as the celebration continues through Thursday. Organizers expect roughly 4 million visitors.
Boston is the fifth and final US port on the Sail250 route, which also included New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, and New York. The international gathering is one of the largest tall ship events held in the United States since the nation's Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

The federal government's new Trump Accounts program has attracted nearly $125 million in family contributions within its first five days, according to the Treasury Department. The tax-deferred investment accounts officially launched on July 4 for children under 18.
Children born between 2025 and 2028 are eligible for a one-time $1,000 federal deposit through the pilot program, while parents and other family members can contribute up to $5,000 annually. Treasury officials said millions of accounts have already been opened, with eligible families beginning to receive the federal seed deposits.
Unlike 529 college savings plans, Trump Accounts are designed primarily for long-term retirement savings. The money is invested in low-cost stock index funds, and withdrawals before retirement are generally subject to income taxes and potential early-withdrawal penalties.

Sen. Mitch McConnell said a fall left him briefly unconscious before his hospitalization, but tests ruled out a stroke, heart attack, and broken bones. (More)

More than 200 children and counselors were airlifted from a flooded Missouri summer camp by National Guard helicopters after historic rainfall stranded them amid dangerous floodwaters. (More)

The Trump administration rescinded a longstanding Endangered Species Act rule that treated habitat destruction as "harm" to protected wildlife. (More)

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko resigned after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a government reshuffle. (More)

The US struck about 140 targets in Iran after an Iranian attack on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting retaliatory strikes across the Middle East. (More)

The US, UK, and 12 other countries reaffirmed that China's sweeping South China Sea claims are illegal under a 2016 international arbitration ruling, which Beijing again rejected as "null and void." (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.42%, Nasdaq +0.29%, Dow +0.29%). Big Tech names propelled broader market gains. (More)

British airline EasyJet backed Apollo's $7.7 billion takeover offer, dropping support for a lower bid from Castlelake. (More)

Volkswagen is preparing to cut half its global vehicle lineup as it restructures after second-quarter global deliveries fell 8.6%, including a 36.6% decline in China. (More)

Jannik Sinner rallied past Alexander Zverev to win his second straight Wimbledon title. (More) | Linda Noskova defeated fellow Czech Karolína Muchová in three sets at Wimbledon to win her first Grand Slam title. (More)

The 2026 World Cup is down to four teams. France faces Spain on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, while England meets defending champion Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta. (More)

The Seattle Seahawks are being sold to the Khosla family for a reported $9.6 billion, pending NFL approval. (More)

MIT researchers developed a robot that flies and swims using the same wings in a breakthrough inspired by diving seabirds. (More)

China successfully recovered a reusable rocket booster for the first time after the maiden launch of its Long March-10B rocket. (More)

Martha Lillard, believed to be the last US polio survivor to rely on an iron lung, has died at 78. Diagnosed at age 5, she outlived doctors' expectations by decades after the disease left her paralyzed. (More)

Quiz: Can you rank all 7 continents from largest to smallest?

Dutch art museum debuts installation made from 800 lbs of peanut butter.

Are soccer players the most fit athletes?

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