The Race to Fill Lindsey Graham’s Seat
Is Already On
Posted By: sunset, 7/12/2026 11:13:59 PM
Republicans were lining up — or at least publicly voicing their interest — on Sunday to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina as Gov. Henry McMaster weighs an interim appointment and Republicans look to a special election for a new nominee for the November ballot. Rep. Ralph Norman is expected to make an announcement Tuesday. “Yes!!” he texted NOTUS when asked to confirm his intentions. He is not seeking reelection to the House. Rep. Nancy Mace also hinted at a run. Mace will go into the field with a poll starting Monday. McMaster can appoint an interim replacement for Graham to serve until January,
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Republicans were lining up — or at least publicly voicing their interest — on Sunday to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina as Gov. Henry McMaster weighs an interim appointment and Republicans look to a special election for a new nominee for the November ballot. Rep. Ralph Norman is expected to make an announcement Tuesday. “Yes!!” he texted NOTUS when asked to confirm his intentions. He is not seeking reelection to the House. Rep. Nancy Mace also hinted at a run. Mace will go into the field with a poll starting Monday. McMaster can appoint an interim replacement for Graham to serve until January,
Russia Relaunches World’s Largest Heavily
Armed Surface Warship, 28,000 Ton Admiral Nakhimov 12 replies
Armed Surface Warship, 28,000 Ton Admiral Nakhimov 12 replies
Russia’s nuclear-powered Kirov-class battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov, is entering the final stretch of its return to operational service.
It is currently undergoing sea trials following a decade-long overhaul at the Sevmash Shipyard, and represents the most extensive modernization program ever attempted on a Russian combat ship. Once fully operational, the revamped vessel is set to become the centerpiece of Russia’s Northern Fleet, boasting upgraded combat systems, advanced sensors, and next-generation missile arrays designed to project power for decades to come. The Kirov class remains the heaviest class of surface combatants in service anywhere in the world.
The US on Friday sailed an armada of warships — including two aircraft carriers – near Iran just two days after President Trump suggested he may reinstate the blockade on Iranian ports.
”Today, more than 20 US Navy warships are patrolling waters across the Middle East as CENTCOM forces continue promoting regional security and stability,” US Central Command posted to X on Friday morning. Shortly after, maritime trackers spotted the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush entering the Gulf of Oman — a move experts in military planning say would be necessary to re-establish the blockade that crippled the Iranian economy.
A bitter battle is brewing along California’s Central Coast as an Indigenous tribe pushes to create a protected ocean zone that could sharply limit fishing — sparking fears among local fishermen that their livelihoods are on the line. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians has filed a proposal to create a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) stretching from Morro Rock to the local dog beach near Morro Bay. The proposal was among 20 Marine Protected Area petitions submitted to the California Fish and Game Commission. The original petition would have allowed some recreational fishing, but the tribe requested an amendment that would reserve fishing access only for Chumash members.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) shared that he would reintroduce former Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) “exact bill” that would not only eliminate birthright citizenship for the children of illegal migrants, but also clarify who can receive birthright citizenship. In a post on X, Moreno responded to another post from Fox News’s Bill Melugin, who shared that in 1993, Reid had introduced the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993. Moreno also shared the Immigration Act would focus on making cuts to legal immigration limits, capping annual refugee admissions, make changes to legal immigration limits by restructuring family-based visas and setting employment-based immigrant visas to zero,”
On Wednesday night, Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, vetoed House Bill 472, which in its final form included provisions requiring a photo ID for mail-in ballots. The fight for voter integrity does not appear to be over in the Buckeye State, however. In vetoing the bill, DeWine released a statement noting that “the bill “would not discourage fraud, would not add any real security, and would create an additional and significant burden for Ohioans.” The bill “is all burden for so little benefit. Therefore, this veto is in the public interest,”. DeWine’s concerns included verifying the photo ID and costs incurred in maintaining a portal and the Board of Elections.
The United States Justice Department sued California on Wednesday to halt a newly enacted law banning retail sales of Glock and Glock-style handguns, the most popular pistols sold in the state, and simultaneously challenged a decades-old list that severely restricts which handguns may be legally purchased there. The 17-page complaint, filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, argues that both restrictions violate the Second Amendment. The lawsuit escalates a months-long standoff between the Trump administration and California’s Democratic leadership. “The Second Amendment is a sacred right belonging to all Americans, even those in California,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.
The U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday it had imposed sanctions on two Mexican nationals and nine entities tied to a cartel-linked smuggling scheme that moves fuel from the United States into Mexico without paying a hefty tax on the imports.
In a statement, the Treasury said the scheme is linked to Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and part of an illegal enterprise generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the cartel. Smuggled fuel and stolen crude oil have become the second-largest revenue source for Mexican cartels after drugs, according to the U.S. government.
Texas Supreme Court halts Harris County's
$1.3M legal aid program for immigrants
facing deportation 8 replies
$1.3M legal aid program for immigrants
facing deportation 8 replies
The Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocked Harris County's $1.3 million immigration assistance program on Friday due to "serious
doubt about the constitutionality" of the initiative.
In November 2025, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Harris County, alleging that it illegally spent public funds on a program aimed at providing legal aid for undocumented immigrants. That program, the Immigrant Legal Services Fund, was created by county commissioners in 2020 for deportation defense services.
The program operates by paying attorneys fees and related expenses for migrants facing deportation, who aren't guaranteed an attorney because immigration cases are generally considered civil matters.
CDL exemption request fuels DACA debate
11 replies
Hundreds of commenters are taking part in the debate over whether DACA recipients should be allowed to receive a CDL directly to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Earlier this month, FMCSA published an exemption request related to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. Jenifer Sanchez Vilchis, a DACA recipient from California, seeks an immediate, temporary exemption allowing states to issue Class B CDLs to DACA holders. FMCSA gave the public 30 days to comment on the exemption request. Under the rule, an Employment Authorization Document would no longer be enough to obtain a non-domiciled CDL. Additionally, asylum seekers, asylees, refugees and DACA recipients would be ineligible.
On June 23, DHS announced it was seeking to impose fines of $255,232 against Vinod Doddamani, an immigration lawyer operating “a nationwide practice in which he mostly represents Indian nationals”, for allegedly filing “false asylum claims on behalf of his clients”. The basis of that action isn’t mentioned, but it appears the department is dusting off section 274C of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a little-used civil (not criminal) provision that can result in not-insignificant money penalties for certain immigration-related fraud offenses. Practitioners should take notice — as should applicants.
A progressive organization that says it was raided by the FBI is a little-known but integral player in progressive politics in Ohio.
The Ohio Organizing Collaborative is a nonpartisan organization, but works closely with Democrats on issues like voter registration, political organizing and ballot-issue campaigns.
The group was founded in 2007 and has since grown to be one of the most well-funded political organizing operations in the state. The OOC and its political arm, the Ohio Organizing Campaign, together received nearly $55 million from 2020-2024
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WASHINGTON — Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was elected to the Senate in 2003 and was a close political ally of President Donald Trump, has died, his office confirmed early Sunday. He was 71.
Graham died Saturday night “from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a statement.
“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” the statement continued.
Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was seeking a fifth six-year Senate term in November. He was one of the most well-known members of the chamber
Canadian government APOLOGIZES for creating
national parks, calls them a 'colonial injustice' 16 replies
national parks, calls them a 'colonial injustice' 16 replies
The country of Canada has effectively apologized for the system of national parks that it has developed, with the national parks agency saying that the existence of the parks themselves represents "colonial injustice" against those who are Indigenous.
The internal report known as the Evaluation of the Indigenous Guardians Initiative Internal Review, stated, “For millennia Indigenous people have cultivated reciprocal relationships with land, water and ice guided by cultural practices, values and knowledge systems," as reported by the Toronto Sun.
"Beginning in the 19th century the development of national parks and protected areas in Canada disrupted these relationships through exclusion and colonial injustices,"
Massive bull bison tosses Yellowstone
tourist into the air like a ragdoll in
shocking attack 14 replies
tourist into the air like a ragdoll in
shocking attack 14 replies
A massive bull bison tossed a tourist into the air, seriously injuring him, in a heart-pounding caught-on-camera attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Video shows the unidentified man being thrown 8 feet in the air like a ragdoll by the wild bison at the Bridge Bay Campground Friday, Cowboy State Daily reported. The tourist was walking with his grandson when the powerful herbivore attacked. Video shows the man running around a copse of pines to try to escape the bull, which was giving itself a dust bath moments earlier. The bison suddenly charged the two tourists, and then viciously
Nearly $15,000 Raised for Tennessee Railway
Conductor Fired for Patriotic July 4th Announcement 14 replies
Conductor Fired for Patriotic July 4th Announcement 14 replies
Nearly $15,000 has been raised for a conductor on the historic Incline Railway in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who was fired after delivering a patriotic message to passengers on Independence Day.
As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Jack Peterson, who worked as a conductor for the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), which operates the Incline Railway, made the comments during a July 4 ride.
In a statement captured on video, which went viral on social media, Peterson wished “the very, very few Americans” on board a happy Independence Day.
He added, “To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave.”
Mitch McConnell assures Kentuckians of
ongoing Senate work during recovery from
fall, pneumonia 9 replies
ongoing Senate work during recovery from
fall, pneumonia 9 replies
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Senator Mitch McConnell said he is continuing to recover after a recent fall and a mild case of pneumonia, assuring Kentuckians he remains engaged in Senate business despite being able to return to the floor to vote.
In a statement addressed to Kentuckians on Sunday, the Republican senator thanked supporters for their well wishes and acknowledged questions about his absence from the Senate. McConnell said he was hospitalized in June after suffering a fall last month leaving him briefly unconscious. He said doctors determined he did not sustain any broken bones or a concussion and ruled out more serious conditions, including a heart attack, stroke, tumors and
President Donald Trump has provided employers with two more weeks of migrant labor by delaying the elimination of work permits for at least 350,000 migrants with expiring Temporary Protected Status.
The Washington Post reported Friday:
Work permission will now expire for Haitians with temporary humanitarian protections July 24, according to the update from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Work permits for TPS holders from Myanmar, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Somalia will end next Friday.
Industries — from nursing homes and hospitals to schools and airports — that employ workers with these protections are scrambling and pleading behind the scenes
Greta Thunberg’s sister is a risqué
pop singer who’s got nothing to say
about climate change 8 replies
pop singer who’s got nothing to say
about climate change 8 replies
Two sisters — two different goals. The little sister of clean-cut Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is making a name for herself one dramatic ballad and split at a time. In a recent virtual chat with Interview Magazine, Beata MonaLisa, AKA Bea, (yes, that’s her real name: “I was born with it. It’s from my grandma Mona and great grandma Lisa,” she explained to the outlet) proved she’s not living in the shadows of her older, by three years, sister, who’s known for challenging the government with her strong opinions on climate change and societal issues.
New Study: NASA’s Models Wildly Underestimate
The Capacity Of Clouds To Alter Solar Radiation 8 replies
The Capacity Of Clouds To Alter Solar Radiation 8 replies
Today’s climate models are so inaccurate they must be improved a hundredfold just to detect a CO2 signal in climate change.
Though clouds “are the largest moderator of Earth’s radiation budget and their absorption of solar radiation directly influence our understanding of climate change,” NASA’s models of the cloud capacity to alter solar radiation diverge from satellite observations (MERRA2) by 18.8 W/m² (Fu et al., 2026).
Swift Response From U.S. Military After
IRGC Strikes Container Ship and Closes
Strait of Hormuz 8 replies
IRGC Strikes Container Ship and Closes
Strait of Hormuz 8 replies
On Saturday night, according to reports, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy fired a warning shot at and struck a commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran claimed it was closing the strait until further notice.This comes in the wake of President Trump and administration officials on Friday giving Iran a deadline of Saturday to say to the world that the Strait of Hormuz is open, or face certain destruction, as my colleague Joe Cunningham wrote earlier:There was also news Saturday of a potential assassination plot by Iran against Trump possibly being foiled in recent days.
'It Could Have Been His Last Call': Trump
Mourns the Loss of Lindsey Graham on 'Meet
the Press' 7 replies
Mourns the Loss of Lindsey Graham on 'Meet
the Press' 7 replies
Many awoke Sunday morning to the stunning news of Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) sudden and unexpected passing Saturday evening. Among those undoubtedly caught off guard were NBC News and "Meet the Press," who had Graham slated to join Kristen Welker on this morning's program, fresh off his latest trip to Ukraine.
Instead, Welker spoke with President Donald Trump over the phone to get his reaction to the loss of Graham. In their conversation, Trump revealed that he had just spoken to Graham earlier in the evening and wondered if he might have even been Graham's last call:
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner believes that by cracking down on illegal immigration, he could help bring the American dream of home ownership within the reach of U.S. citizens again. Unsurprisingly, the mass surge of more than 10 million illegal aliens who entered the USA under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris caused a serious housing crisis in the United States, both for renters and for buyers. Housing prices shot up like Hunter Biden high on Parmesan cheese. Hence Turner is certain that by assisting other departments in the Trump administration to crack down on illegal immigration, he will be helping Americans achieve greater affordability and choice in housing.
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s preliminary cause
of death revealed after GOP leader, 71,
found in DC home 6 replies
of death revealed after GOP leader, 71,
found in DC home 6 replies
Sen. Lindsey Graham died of a ruptured aorta brought on by chronic heart disease, according to the preliminary findings of the DC medical examiner’s office released Sunday.
An initial investigation found that the 71-year-old senator from South Carolina died from “Aortic Dissection due to Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease,” according to the findings, which were released by the senator’s office.
The rare condition involves a tear in the body’s main artery; it mostly affects older men, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Comments:
Term limited Governor McMaster could also appoint himself, or his Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette to fill Graham’s vacancy. Interesting times.