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Jul 14, 2026

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Federal Level

Graham’s Sister Named to Fill His Senate Seat

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s only sibling, to fill his Senate seat on Monday, July 13. Nordone, 62, has spent her career working with people with disabilities and currently serves as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. She will be sworn in Wednesday, July 15, to serve through January. President Trump recommended her in a Truth Social post as ‘a fabulous tribute to Lindsey,’ and both Senator Tim Scott and Majority Leader John Thune endorsed the choice. ^{1, 2}

Senate Faces a Razor-Thin Margin on Critical Legislation

With Graham’s seat vacant and Senator Mitch McConnell hospitalized since mid-June, Republicans returned to Washington on Monday, July 13, effectively holding just a 51-vote majority. Majority Leader John Thune now faces a compressed summer calendar that includes the Russia sanctions bill, a lapsed FISA surveillance renewal, Todd Blanche’s attorney general confirmation, and a government funding deadline before October 1. McConnell released a statement Monday saying a June 14 fall left him briefly unconscious and that he later developed pneumonia, but that he is working to return. ^{3, 4}

Federal Judge Throws Out Trump’s $10B IRS Lawsuit

A federal judge ruled on Monday, July 13, that President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS was an improper attempt to give ‘judicial legitimacy for a settlement that had no viable basis in law or fact.’ U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams said that because the president controls both the IRS and the Justice Department, ‘there was never a case or controversy.’ She also referred the attorney who filed the case to the Florida bar for potential disciplinary action. The original settlement had granted Trump and his family immunity from future tax audits. ⁵

Pentagon and DOJ Form Joint Task Force to Hunt Leakers

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday, July 13, that the Pentagon and the Justice Department have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute unauthorized disclosures of sensitive national security information to the news media. Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel will have authority, effective immediately, to request all information about potential leaks and that requests must be addressed within 48 hours. The announcement came days after the DOJ issued subpoenas to four New York Times reporters over a story about President Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One. ^{6, 7}

Trump HHS Drops Its Sweeping Medicare Trans Care Rule

The Trump administration confirmed on Monday, July 13, that it will not finalize a proposed rule that would have blocked all Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors. The Department of Health and Human Services quietly disclosed the decision in an internal document obtained by NPR after receiving more than 30,000 public comments. The American Medical Association and the Children’s Hospital Association both urged the agency to withdraw the rule. The administration said other regulatory tools targeting such care remain in place. ^{8, 9}

Blanche AG Confirmation Hearing Opens Wednesday in Senate

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to open two days of confirmation hearings for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche beginning Wednesday, July 15. Graham’s death complicates the process, since he held a seat on the committee that must recommend Blanche’s nomination to the full Senate. Blanche drew bipartisan criticism earlier this year for his role in promoting a now-defunct $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. Some Republican senators remain publicly undecided on whether they will confirm him, though Reuters reported Monday he is on a ‘glide path’ toward confirmation. ^{10, 11}

State Level

SC Republicans Line Up to Run for Graham’s Senate Seat

Hours after Darline Graham Nordone was named interim senator on Monday, July 13, South Carolina Republicans began publicly positioning for the August 11 special primary to choose a nominee for the November election. Representatives Nancy Mace and Ralph Norman said they were strongly considering a run, while Lt. Governor Pamela Evette met with Governor McMaster about her options. Russell Fry is reportedly Trump’s preferred candidate for the special primary race. Candidate filing will open July 21 and close July 28, with a runoff on August 25 if no candidate wins outright. ^{1, 2}

ICE Shooting in Maine Kills Colombian Man; 10th This Year

An ICE officer fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, on the morning of Monday, July 13, in what Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau described as the 10th death tied to an ICE encounter since the start of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign. Senator Angus King said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the man ‘weaponized’ his vehicle against pursuing officers. Immigrant rights groups said the man was authorized to work in the United States and called for an independent investigation. ^{12, 13}

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Article Sources

1. The Washington Times, “Lindsey Graham’s sister will replace him in the Senate after his sudden death,” July 13, 2026.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/lindsey-grahams-sister-replace-senate-sudden-death/

2. KVCR / NPR, “South Carolina’s governor names Lindsey Graham’s sister to serve out his term,” July 13, 2026.

https://kvcr.org/news/npr-top-stories/2026-07-13/lindsey-graham-senate-seat-darline-graham

3. Journal Record / Reuters, “Graham death, McConnell absence hang over US Senate as Congress returns,” July 13, 2026.

https://journalrecord.com/2026/07/13/senate-challenges-after-graham-death-mcconnell-absence/

4. Townhall, “It’s Official: Lindsey Graham’s Sister Appointed to Serve the Remainder of His Term,” July 13, 2026.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2026/07/13/done-deal-heres-who-will-serve-out-the-rest-of-lindsey-grahams-term-n2679339

5. The Preamble, “The Daily Brief, July 13, 2026: Judge slams Trump’s IRS lawsuit,” July 13, 2026.

6. The Washington Times, “Hegseth: Pentagon, Justice Department working together to track down leakers,” July 13, 2026.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jul/13/hegseth-pentagon-justice-department-working-together-track-leakers/

7. UPI, “Defense, Justice departments to target press leaks,” July 13, 2026.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/07/13/defense-justice-departments-to-investigate-press-leaks/8701783974816/

8. NPR / KDLL Public Radio, “Trump’s HHS abandons threat to withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding over trans care,” July 13, 2026.

https://www.kdll.org/npr-news/2026-07-13/trumps-hhs-abandons-threat-to-withhold-medicare-and-medicaid-funding-over-trans-care

9. Human Rights Campaign, “Breaking: After Massive Outrage from Public, HHS Backs Down Over Plan to Restrict Trans Youth Health Care,” July 13, 2026.

https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/breaking-after-massive-outrage-from-public-hhs-backs-down-over-plan-to-make-health-care-for-trans-youth

10. Reuters, “Blanche on glide path for US attorney general confirmation, Republican insiders say,” July 14, 2026.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/blanche-glide-path-us-attorney-general-confirmation-republican-insiders-say-2026-07-14/

11. AP News, “Blanche set for July confirmation hearings as GOP weighs support,” June 16, 2026.

https://apnews.com/article/blanche-attorney-general-hearings-trump-1e4301183691e001e269610e846a7a92

12. The Preamble, “The Daily Brief, July 13, 2026: Another ICE shooting in Biddeford, Maine,” July 13, 2026.

13. KVCR / NPR, “ICE officer fatally shoots man in Biddeford, Maine,” July 13, 2026.