Darline Graham, sister of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is ceremonially sworn-in by President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in the Old Senate Chamber at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, as her husband Larry Nordone holds the Bible. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Darline Graham, sister of late

SC senator sworn in to finish term

WASHINGTON — The sister of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has been sworn in to fill his seat, just three days after his death.

Darline Graham, left, was sworn in at the Senate on Tuesday.

She was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday to fill the remaining months of her brother’s term. A separate special election will take place next month to pick a new Republican nominee in the general election for Lindsey Graham’s seat, as he had been seeking a fifth term this year.

Darline Graham will be the state’s first female senator. She has not previously held public office.

Trump to deliver primetime address

likely dealing with voting reforms

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will deliver a primetime address at 9 p.m. Thursday that he said will include a focus on elections.

The topic suggests he could revisit conspiracy theories about his 2020 defeat to President Joe Biden as his escalated calls for Republicans to pass tighter federal voting rules before November’s midterm elections.

The speech comes as Trump confronts a collapsing deal to end the war with Iran and faces numerous other domestic issues, including recent shootings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. Asked for a preview on Tuesday, Trump said that “without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country.”

Two Supreme Court justices detail

security risks in Congress testimony

WASHINGTON — In rare congressional testimony, Supreme Court justices have shared chilling stories about the threats they increasingly face in public life.

Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified Tuesday to House and Senate committees, and appealed for more security funding for members of the high court.

Like judges around the country, the justices have faced a surge in threats of violence and intimidation.

Barrett said she had to take a bulletproof vest home a few years ago, and struggled to explain that to her 12-year-old son. Kagan condemned rhetoric from public officials who target judges for personal criticism when they disagree with their rulings.

Gibraltar ushers in a new era as

territory’s border fence is removed

MADRID — The fence separating Gibraltar from Spain has been dismantled, easing travel for thousands who cross daily.

This change, which goes into effect on Wednesday, follows years of post-Brexit negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom over Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory that is also claimed by Spain.

On Tuesday, the U.K. and the E.U. signed an agreement securing Gibraltar’s economic future. Without it, Gibraltar could have faced a hard border with full passport checks, risking its economy. The deal de facto brings Gibraltar into the EU’s Schengen free travel area. Gibraltar officials say live facial recognition cameras are now set up at entry points.

Writers Guild of America seeking

to halt Paramount buyout of Warner

NEW YORK — The Writers Guild of America has become the latest group to challenge Paramount’s

$81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

It filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to block the merger on the grounds it would cause “specific harm” to movie and TV writers in the U.S.

The WGA’s complaint arrives a day after 12 states, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, filed their own lawsuit seeking to halt the transaction. Paramount maintains its acquisition of Warner would increase competition and create more opportunities for writers.

As cyclospora illnesses in US surge,

Mich. eyes lettuce as possible cause

NEW YORK — Infections from the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora are surging, with 2026 already the nation’s worst year for reported cases.

More than 30 states including Ohio have reported infections this year, and current data from them shows the number of infections surpassing the record U.S. mark of about 4,700 set in 2019.

The illness is not usually life threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics. Health officials have not yet definitively identified the source of the infections. But in Michigan — where more than 3,300 cases have been reported — officials say early information points to lettuce as a possible culprit.

Ohio has reported 400 cases of cyclospora as of Tuesday.

Inflation cools more than expected

WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation cooled last month as the cost of gas, clothes and used cars fell, providing some relief to consumers, while underlying price pressures also slowed more than expected.

Excluding the food and energy categories, core prices were unchanged from May to June, a positive sign that higher gas prices haven’t spread through the economy. Yet oil prices rose for a second day Tuesday as the United States renewed attacks on Iran and President Donald Trump announced a new blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The increase threatens to undo at least some of the progress that occurred last month.

The Associated Press