I've been logging a lot of miles this week, flying to Washington for the first of two funeral services for Sen. Lindsey Graham, then driving (thanks to a nationwide flight ground stop) back to South Carolina for another service on Wednesday. It's been a long week already, but it's important to me to bear witness to and cover these events, and to bring that coverage to you. Other stories we're tracking include the progressive-minded Americans who have sworn off legacy media institutions, turning instead to a widening mix of independent podcasts, social media accounts and digital news sites.
It's part of an increasingly influential ecosystem that has boosted this year's wave of anti-establishment, left-leaning candidates who may not have gotten as much attention otherwise.
Plus, Dr. Anthony Fauci heads to the Senate, and what role the U.S. Postal Service is playing in the midterms. |
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President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other guests, attend the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Tuesday July 28, 2026, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) |
Lindsey Graham eulogized as an 'American original' with global reach — By Lisa Mascaro, Meg Kinnard and Mary Clare Jalonick
Graham, the son of pool hall owners who rose to become one of his generation's more influential U.S. politicians at home and abroad, was eulogized Tuesday as “a true American original” during memorial services in Washington.
Graham's flag-draped casket arrived for a tribute at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican served for more than 30 years as an indefatigable dealmaker who talked and laughed and badgered his colleagues into action. Later, President Donald Trump joined foreign leaders for a funeral at Washington National Cathedral, a testament to Graham's stature on the global stage.
Among those gathered were Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaders of two countries fighting separate wars. Their presence was a nod to Graham's role as a foremost believer in the power of the U.S. and its military to intervene in the world's problems is something Fox News' Sean Hannity said in his remarks would have meant a lot to Graham.
It was the start of two days of services for Graham. On Wednesday, Graham's remains will make a final visit at the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia, accompanied by an F-16 flyover, before services at First Baptist Church.
Read more from Mascaro, Jalonick and me on Graham's funeral. |
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How progressive media is boosting insurgent Democrats ahead of midterms |
Ryan Grim records a segment for the YouTube daily news show, Breaking Points, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) |
How progressive media is boosting insurgent Democrats ahead of midterms — By Ali Swenson
Liberals remain more likely than conservatives to trust mainstream outlets, but the splintering echoes how conservatives skeptical of their party created a collection of insurgent news sites years ago. The shift has elevated individual commentators with opinions on the news, some of whom have proven influential in driving people’s votes. Ryan Grim, a co-founder of Drop Site News and a veteran of online political debates, said progressive politicians have sought out his platform to reach voters. In a change from previous election cycles, "they have ways to get covered even if the mainstream just basically ignores them,” he said. One of those candidates is Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan and faces the more moderate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Aug 4. primary. “I think in a lot of ways, where traditional media has been gatekeepers, we’re watching that gatekeeping function fall away,” El-Sayed said.
Anti-establishment media has grown for years, but exploded lately These changes have been on display this year in places like New York City, where a slate of progressive congressional candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani defeated establishment-backed candidates. Read more from Swenson on the progressive media ecosystem. |
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Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment and declines to testify in Republican-led COVID-19 Senate hearing |
Dr. Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus pandemic at Capitol Hill, Monday, June 3, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) |
Fauci again faces questions from Senate Republicans about pandemic origins — By Lauran Neergaard and Ali Swenson Dr. Anthony Fauci has invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wednesday's move injects drama into the lingering tensions between Fauci and GOP lawmakers over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and accusations he lied about its origins, which he denies.
Fauci was subpoenaed by Sen. Rand Paul, who's led the charge to have the now-retired infectious-disease expert testify again.
The hearing is part of a campaign for Fauci's arrest spearheaded by some congressional Republicans. President Donald Trump says he felt Fauci made bad decisions on masks and shutdowns.
Read more from Neergaard and Swenson on Fauci's Senate hearing. |
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US Postal Service finds itself in the midterms spotlight |
Delivery vans bearing the logo sit during a protest staged as part of a countrywide National Day of Action Tuesday, July 28, 2026, outside the main United States Postal Service headquarters in northeast Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) |
Trump's attacks on mail balloting and concerns over delays turn midterms spotlight on Postal Service — By John Hanna Roughly six weeks before the first midterm ballots are mailed out, the U.S. Postal Service is emerging as a pivotal player in an election season that will determine control of Congress. Trump is seeking greater control over mail balloting through an executive order while a change to how the agency processes mail is leading to criticism that it's failing to deliver ballots on time.
Democratic officials have raised concerns over the past week about how quickly the U.S. Postal Service will process ballots after tens of thousands of them in California and hundreds in Wisconsin arrived at local election offices too late to be counted in elections earlier this year.
The top election offices in Kansas and Michigan are urging voters who want to cast their ballots early to avoid the mail and instead drop them off in person.
The Postal Service replied to those concerns Tuesday by saying it remains “committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process.”
Read more from Hanna on the Postal Service's midterms role. |
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An Armed Forces Body Bearer Team moves the casket of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., upon arrival for a Congressional tribute in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool) |
Washington-based photo journalist Mark Schiefelbein was on hand at the U.S. Capitol for the congressional tribute to Graham, the first of several ceremonies across two days and hundreds of miles. |
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