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Right-wing hardliners eye 'macabre' moment to finish off GOP's hawkish wing: report
America First hardliners are viewing Sen. Lindsey Graham's death as a dark opportunity to purge the Republican Party of its remaining interventionist wing and consolidate control over Donald Trump's foreign policy agenda, Politico is reporting.Graham's sudden passing left a gaping hole in the GOP's hawkish establishment — a void that anti-interventionist Trump allies are openly celebrating as a chance to eliminate their final formidable obstacle within the party.Unlike most Republicans, Graham possessed a durable relationship with Trump, which he leveraged consistently to push aggressive foreign policy positions: unwavering support for Israel, robust aid to Ukraine, and advocacy for military strikes against Iran. With him out of the way, Politico is reporting his right-wing critics see it as a "macabre opening" they need to quickly take advantage of."The McCain wing of the 'America Last' party has taken a mortal blow with the death of Graham and the demise of [Sen. Mitch] McConnell," said Steve Bannon, Trump's former White House strategist. "[GOP Sen. Tom] Cotton and the rest of the cabal have neither the gravitas nor the cunning of those two. The Oligarchs in Ukraine and Imperial Israel Proponents are curled up in the fetal position."According to Politico, a former Trump adviser is also excited about gaining more influence with Graham out of the way. Steve Cortes framed Graham's death in nakedly transactional terms."Broadly, whatever the reason, if there are fewer voices in President Trump's ear advocating for intervention that's a great thing. It's a great thing for our country, it's a great thing for our movement, it's a great thing for our party," he said."Still, not all of the president’s America First allies see Graham’s death as a boon to their cause. Some instead frame him as a bridge between a still-hawkish Senate GOP conference and a more anti-interventionist White House — someone who was able to move between both camps in a way that actually helped the America First cause," the report notes with Alex Gray, a former NSC official in Trump’s first term warning, "It actually hurts the America First movement if we don’t have establishment senators who are willing to give America First views a fair hearing, the way Graham did. He inserted kind of an interpretive bridge between the two sides. He did a lot for America First foreign policy.”
Wall Street needles Trump with bitter new joke as Hormuz debacle returns with a vengeance
Energy traders and Wall Street analysts are resorting to dark humor to cope with Donald Trump's foreign policy catastrophe in the Persian Gulf, where his aggressive posturing toward Iran has backfired spectacularly and destabilized one of the world's most critical shipping routes.The situation has become so dire that financial markets have developed a bitter joke about it. Traders have coined a new term for what they now expect: the "NACHO trade" — shorthand for "Not a Chance Hormuz Opens," according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.That acronym joins other Trump-themed market jargon, including "TACO," which stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out," revealing the contempt Trump critics have for his erratic decision-making.The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 percent of the world's oil passes, has become the focal point of Trump's unraveling Middle East strategy. After renewed fighting over the weekend and Trump's announcement that he was reimposing a U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping, oil prices surged more than 10 percent, erasing an entire month of price declines."The chance of the region and Hormuz going back to the old normal is effectively zero," said Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told the Journal. "If anything this reinforces the impetus to invest in other pathways as quickly as possible."The core problem, according to Wall Street Journal reporting, is that Iran and neighboring countries have discovered they can easily manipulate U.S. politics by threatening to choke off shipping through the strait. That realization has fundamentally altered market calculations."Oil markets and Middle East producers appear to be aligning around a new reality: The Strait of Hormuz is no longer expected to return to a prewar norm," the Journal reported.According to the Journal, "The idea behind the NACHO trade is that the shipping route through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil had passed will remain virtually shut, with only a trickle of traffic slipping through clandestine routes, until the economic costs of its closure, such as high oil prices and accelerating inflation, become untenable."
Bangkok bar fire: death toll reaches 30 as police say negligence is ‘primary theory’
Bar owner offers ‘deepest apologies’ as police investigate whether exits were either blocked or hard to accessThe Bangkok pub that became the scene of the city’s deadliest blaze in 17 years has said it will cooperate with an investigation into alleged negligence, as the death toll rose to 30.The local district office said on Tuesday that three more people had died after the devastating fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday. An initial assessment by disaster officials found an electrical short circuit in an air conditioner located in the ceiling had caused the fire. Continue reading...
Former politician, TV personality Ann Widdecombe killed in ‘targeted attack': Police
Counterterror police say former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe was the victim of a "targeted attack."
New US Ebola patient arrives in Germany for treatment
Aid worker flown to Berlin as Trump administration bars Americans from traveling to US on commercial flightsA US national who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has arrived in Germany for treatment, the health ministry in Berlin said on Monday, weeks after another American infected with Ebola in the DRC was treated in Berlin.Meanwhile, the Trump administration on Monday said it was blocking American citizens in the DRC from traveling to the US on commercial flights, Reuters reported, citing a White House official. Continue reading...
Ex-Army intel officer dumbfounded by Trump's latest move: 'New levels of desperation'
A former U.S. Army intelligence officer was left dumbstruck Tuesday following President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to degrade Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, an effort they described as a manifestation of the president’s “new levels of desperation.”On Monday, Trump announced that the United States would be reinstating its naval blockade on Iran and charging hefty fees to transiting vessels. The decree came amid renewed exchanges of fire between the United States, Iran and U.S.-aligned Middle Eastern nations.“This is just new levels of desperation that I couldn't have imagined a couple of months ago,” said Harrison Mann, a former U.S. Army major and intelligence officer, during an appearance on CNN.“We've got to remember that the free protection from the U.S. Navy has not been successful for the past several months; it's why we're in a new cycle of escalation over the past week. The Navy has repeatedly tried to secure transit through the Strait of Hormuz – Iran has still been able to attack ships.”The flare-up in violence was sparked last week after Iran struck a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz in a manner Iranian officials claimed was a violation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement. The United States launched strikes at Iran in retaliation, which itself was met with a flurry of strikes from Iran targeting U.S. allies in the region.Mann, who resigned in protest over the U.S. facilitation and support for the Israeli siege on Gaza – which a United Nations commission and countless human rights organizations have described as a genocide – said that not only was the Trump administration’s plan doomed to fail, it also undercut its own position.“So the protecting ships part of it, we already know won't work. Is he actually going to charge fees? I doubt it, but he is doing something that's kind of dangerous for his own strategy, which is legitimizing that demand,” Mann said.“Marco Rubio just two weeks ago said nobody can charge passage through this international waterway. Trump is now saying, 'oh no, that's fine, we're going to try and do it.'"
Vance infuriating wealthy GOP donors: 'Hard to find any support for him'
Add to the growing list of conservatives who have been turned off by Vice President JD Vance: influential Jewish donors with deep pockets who are furious about his criticisms of Israel.According to a report from Politico, Vance is facing a brewing rebellion from powerful Republican donors and pro-Israel activists who view his foreign policy positions as a betrayal of the party's traditional unwavering support for the Jewish state.The tension centers on Vance's role in brokering a ceasefire agreement with Iran and his public criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government—stances that have alarmed major GOP fundraisers who helped bankroll Donald Trump's return to power."It's hard to find any support for him at all in the Jewish community," said Eric Levine, a prominent Republican bundler and board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told Politico.According to the report, high-profile conservative voices have begun openly questioning Vance's leadership on Israel. Media personality Mark Levin condemned the Iran memorandum of understanding, while former NCAA basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced he won't support Vance's anticipated 2028 presidential bid unless he "breaks" with Tucker Carlson, who has split from the Republican Party.Multiple pro-Israel GOP insiders, speaking anonymously, told Politico there is widespread concern about Vance within their networks. "There's angst among a significant majority of pro-Israel Republicans, Christians and Jews alike," one major donor said. "Overwhelmingly, I'm seeing unease, and it could be even worse than that."The friction threatens to fracture the Republican coalition as Vance positions himself as Trump's likely successor in 2028—an election expected to shatter fundraising records. Politico is reporting that Vance's credibility problems with pro-Israel conservatives extend beyond his Iran diplomacy. Last fall, after leaked messages showed Young Republicans praising Hitler and making Holocaust jokes, Vance dismissed the incident, calling it kids "doing stupid things." During a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi, Vance failed to challenge a student who claimed Judaism was inherently hostile to Christianity and questioned why America supports Israel."When I talk to people in the pro-Israel space about Vance, the Turning Point event comes up in almost every conversation," one veteran GOP strategist involved in pro-Israel advocacy told Politico.
'Dumb and dangerous' Trump battered on MS NOW after setting off travel firestorm
The decision by the Trump administration to go after New York Times reporters with subpoenas after they reported on the critical vulnerabilities with a Qatari plane gifted to the president was hammered on MS NOW on Monday morning. Appearing on “Morning Joe,” an incensed Jim VandeHei, founder of Axios, claimed the decision to fly the luxury jet into the Middle East put the president and the nation at risk. Then he blasted conservatives who are applauding the DOJ investigation.MS NOW contributor Katty Kay prompted VandeHei with, “Jim, you and I were talking during the break about how this seems like overkill from the White House to issue these subpoenas. Is this just because the president was embarrassed about the reporting when we knew that this plane wasn't ready in a defensive capacity?”“Yeah, I think it's both dumb and dangerous, right?” he shot back. “It's dumb in that it was pretty widely known that this aircraft wasn't up to the standards of Air Force One. That usually goes to a two-year period of being built and being vetted, and everybody knew that this was gifted by the Qataris. Everyone also knows that the Iranians are trying to actively assassinate the president of the United States, and he's in the Middle East.” "And so this idea then is that you go after the reporters — and they wrote about it after the fact — the only way you'd actually have a plausible case is if you put the president's life at risk or you really jeopardize national security because you reported it before it happened,” he continued before repeating, “They reported it after it happened.”“And anybody out there who's like, ‘Oh, yeah, but oh, it's the New York Times, I hate the New York Times,’ again, you have to always think about imagine that the other party does this,” he cautioned. “Any time that you don't like a story, that you send agents of the federal government to their home to try to intimidate them because they wrote something that made you feel uncomfortable, that was actually authentically, really, really important to the safety of the president of the United States, whether you like him or not, matters profoundly. And so when you start doing these things, you start normalizing these things, and if anybody cheers it, you better cheer it when they come after you.” - YouTube youtu.be
'Jurassic Park' star Sam Neill dies at 78
Sam Neill, the popular New Zealand actor whose career spanned five decades and encompassed more than 150 film and television roles, has passed away in Sydney. The actor, best recognized for portraying paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant across multiple "Jurassic Park" installments, was 78.His family shared the news through a social media announcement, noting that Neill "passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life" while surrounded by loved ones, The New York Times reported.Neill had battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma following his diagnosis in early 2022.Originating in Northern Ireland before relocating to New Zealand during his childhood, Neill launched his acting journey in the late 1960s, becoming known for his striking appearance and distinctive vocal delivery.His body of work included critically acclaimed New Zealand features such as "The Piano" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," popular entertainment franchises including "Thor: Love and Thunder," and the acclaimed British drama series "Peaky Blinders."Australian political leaders paid tribute to Neill's cultural impact, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighting the actor's connection to the country, writing on X: “Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humor and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.”
Disturbing new theory about Lindsey Graham's death floated by ex-CIA officer
A former CIA officer on Sunday floated a disturbing new theory about when late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) actually died.Reports indicate that Graham suffered from cardiac arrest at his Washington, D.C., residence late Saturday night, and that he was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital later that night. However, the timeline of events leading up to Graham's death didn't make sense to former CIA officer Charles Johnson, who floated a new theory about when Graham died in a new Substack essay. "This is total bulls---!" Johnson wrote about the official story of Graham's death. Johnson noted that Graham had traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 10, which makes the timeline of his death harder to believe. "So, let’s go [through] the timeline," Johnson wrote. "Senator Graham arrived in Kyiv between 09:45 [and] 10:45 local on July 10th. The train he took from Poland departed Warsaw at 18:15 hours local on July 9th. It was an overnight train. To arrive in Poland in time to take the 18:15 train, Lindsey would have departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours.""So, Lindsey Graham arrives in Kyiv by 11 am (sic) Friday morning. He meets with Zelensky and tours a drone factory. Then we are asked to believe that he returns to Washington, D.C., after spending less than 24 hours on the ground. Again, I call bulls---!!" he added. Additional details of Graham's trip made it seem likely that he actually died in Kyiv, possibly while he was traveling back to the U.S., Johnson noted. "The earliest train back to Warsaw departs Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi at 07:40–08:00 on the 11th and arrives Przemyśl Główny in the afternoon (~17:00–18:00). That is at least nine hours. That would make it roughly 1100 hours in Washington, D.C.," he wrote. "Let’s assume he has an hour to get to the airport and the plane takes off at 1900 hours local from Poland. The flight going west takes 10 hours… This means the earliest the plane could have landed at Dulles is midnight on the 11th. That is 3 ½ hours after Graham reportedly died at home," Johnson added.
Lindsey Graham's death reverberates around the globe: 'Certainly won’t miss him'
Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) sudden death reverberated across the globe on Sunday as world leaders reacted to the news. Graham died late Saturday night after a "brief and sudden illness," according to his office. It is believed that Graham suffered from cardiac arrest before his death. President Donald Trump described the late Senator as "one of the greatest people and Senators that I have ever known." Leaders of American-allied nations reacted to the news on Sunday, offering condolences to Graham's family and colleagues. However, the mercurial senator's death also sparked a more terse reaction from America's enemies, particularly inside the Kremlin. "He worked tirelessly to strengthen sanctions, in close coordination with the E.U.," Ursula von der Leyen, the E.U. commission president, remembered in a post on X. "A determined and fearless leader. He will be deeply missed." "Throughout his career, he stood resolutely in defense of democracy and freedom, most recently and particularly with Ukraine and its people," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X. "I offer my condolences to Senator Graham’s family, friends, and all those who served alongside him."Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, also thanked Graham for his staunch advocacy for Ukrainians defending their country against Russian aggression. "We will always be especially grateful for the recognition of our people and words of admiration for the courage of Ukraine’s defenders," Zelenskyy noted in a post on X. "America and the world have lost a determined leader."Graham's death sparked a much different message inside Russia's Kremlin and among the Putin regime's propagandists, The Daily Beast reported. Alexey Pushkov, a Russian lawmaker who represents Putin's party, called Graham "bloodthirsty" in a Telegram post shortly after his death, according to the report. Kremlin propagandist Sergei Mardan added that the Russian people "certainly won't miss him," the report added.
UN chief warns of imminent ‘catastrophic consequences’ as US launches new strikes: report
Shortly after the United States launched a fresh round of strikes at Iran on Sunday, the United Nations secretary-general pleaded with all parties to practice restraint, or risk sparking global and imminent “catastrophic consequences.”On Saturday, the United States launched strikes at Iran in response to an attack on a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and in a manner that Iran claimed to be in violation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement. Iran responded early Sunday morning with strikes targeting major U.S. allies in the region.On Sunday, the United States retaliated again with a new wave of strikes, only this time, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres pleaded with all parties involved to stop hostilities, The New York Times reported.“A return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences [for the region and for the global economy],” Guterres said, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.Guterres went on to say he was “deeply concerned by the serious escalation” and urged both the United States and Iran “to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalatory action and take immediate steps to de-escalate.”The United States’ most recent attack on Iran, according to a U.S. official who spoke with the Times under the condition of anonymity, was to degrade “Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping vessels,” the Times reported.On Saturday, Iran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping route through which around 20% of the world’s oil trade flows – was “closed until further notice,” citing “America’s interventions in the region.”
Jul 16, 2026