Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies, Record Heatwave & World Cup's 'Biggest Villain' - Monday, July 13, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Monday, July 13th. We'll tell you about a prominent senator's sudden death, how he's being remembered, and what it means for the upcoming midterms. Also, the new wave of US attacks in Iran, and the next weather threat that could impact most of the country all week. Plus, why some health insurance is getting more expensive. What changed about a long-standing endangered species law? And we'll explain the latest controversies from the World Cup heading into the biggest games. Those stories and even more news to know next.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
Long time US. Senator Lindsey Graham died suddenly over the weekend. The Republican from South Carolina was one of the most recognizable members of Congress, serving for more than three decades on Capitol Hill, first in the House, then in the Senate. He became known as a leading Republican voice on defense and foreign policy.
And while he was often a polarizing figure, tributes have been coming in from lawmakers in both parties, as well as from world leaders from places like Ukraine and Israel. When he died, Graham had just returned from Ukraine where he met with President Zelensky. But officials have not linked his death to the trip. Graham's office says the DC Medical Examiner's Office believes he died from complications of heart disease after a brief illness. President Trump paid tribute to Graham by calling him one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known.
Graham was one of President Trump's closest allies, even though he has strongly criticized Trump in the past. The president says he ordered all American flags to be flown at half-staff all week. Now, South Carolina's governor will appoint someone to fill Graham's seat for the rest of this year. But since Graham was running for a fifth term this November, voters will ultimately decide who takes over long term. A special Republican primary is scheduled for next month to pick a new nominee for the midterms.
Even before Graham's unexpected death, Republicans in the Senate were working without another member. US. Senator Mitch McConnell has been in the hospital since last month. But yesterday, McConnell's office released a picture of the senator at the hospital with a statement explaining his absence. It says McConnell took a fall that landed him in the hospital where he got pneumonia. The senator says he's since been moved to a rehab center, and even though he cannot return to the Senate yet, he's now able to work remotely. McConnell is 84 years old.
For a third weekend in a row, the US and Iran exchanged fire. This latest flare up, like others, started with the Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Iran fired at a commercial ship passing through the Strait and said it was closing the crucial trade route completely. The US responded by, as President Trump put it, bombing the hell out of them. Then yesterday, Iran again fired toward Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait. Still, mediators say they're not giving up on the prospect of peace.
Meanwhile, with tensions high in the region, a US congressman spoke about a frightening ordeal in the West Bank. Democratic congressman Ro Khanna says while he was visiting a Palestinian village, he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with American-made rifles. Khanna says he and his group were held for more than an hour and that the Israeli military would not help them. He also made appeals to the US embassy in Jerusalem for help. Eventually, he says a group of officers who appeared to be police intervened and had them released. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on NBC's Meet the Press that this was only a small number of vigilantes and that Israel is a nation of laws. The Israeli military says the incident is under review.
Speculation and suspicion has only been growing in the case of an 18-year-old who died over the 4th of July weekend. And now his parents are speaking to the media saying they're fighting to figure out exactly what happened to their son. Remember, the last time anyone reports seeing Nolan Wells was on a boat trip. And his friends took to Horn Island about 10 miles off the coast of Mississippi. The friends he went with returned home saying Wells chose to stay back. His body was later found off the shoreline. And the county sheriff's office is still investigating. But there's a lot of distrust right now. Part of that has to do with a fraught racial history in Mississippi. Wells appeared to be the only person of color in a picture with his friends on the trip. And Wells' parents say there's been a lot of conflicting stories, implausible explanations and missing details. For example, Wells didn't have his cell phone or keys with him. Turns out his friends had them. The family also doesn't believe he drowned since he was a strong athlete and knew how to swim. But the sheriff's department says the currents are especially powerful near the island, so they're not ruling out that possibility. And with everything in this case, investigators are saying it's important to distinguish the truth from rumors. All the while, every update in this case has been dissected by people around the world who all seem to have their own theories. Making things more complicated, AI-generated videos and deep fakes are spreading online. So, Well's mother is asking for help stopping the spread of information. She also hired a noted civil rights lawyer who is leading an independent investigation. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is helping pay for an independent autopsy. And actor and producer Tyler Perry is helping pay for Well's funeral.