## Sen. Lindsey Graham likely died after aorta tear, medical examiner says

Authored by apnews.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress who traveled the globe to advocate for a more aggressive U.S. foreign policy, died after a tear in his aorta, according to a preliminary medical examiner finding shared by his office.

The tear in the inner wall of the aorta, called an aortic dissection, was related to the hardening of Graham’s arteries.

Trump, who talked to Graham frequently, said he was “like a member of the family.

On Friday, Graham had announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of Russia sanctions.

Under South Carolina law, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint a temporary replacement for Graham, who was seeking a fifth term in November.

Over time, Graham became well-known for his close ties with Trump, whom the senator briefly ran against for the presidential nomination in 2016.

Their relationship would begin on a rough note, with Graham calling the then-New York businessman “unfit for office.” »

### The Human Cost of DOGE’s War on U.S.A.I.D.

Authored by newyorker.com

Another example is Ukraine, which was the biggest single beneficiary of aid—and that was energy infrastructure that kept heat going.

I could go into the ways that U.S.A.I.D. was insuring that vaccines were going out in the world.

Atul, there’s a great deal of discussion about the number seven hundred thousand and the mortality data itself. »

### Pakistan ends sales tax on sanitary products in fight against period poverty

Authored by middleeasteye.net

Campaigners say this is the result of successive governments leaving issues around menstruation unacknowledged and shrouded in a culture of silence and shame.

Mahwari Justice organiser Bushra Mahnoor, 26, addresses a crowd at Aurat March Lahore in 2022, advocating for gender equality in Pakistan (supplied).

Mahnoor, meanwhile, was recently awarded the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Award for her work with Mahwari Justice, becoming only the fourth Pakistani recipient of the honour. »

### US Secretary of State granted unprecedented powers over Venezuela — NYT

Authored by newsukraine.rbc.ua

According to The New York Times, which cites over a dozen US and Venezuelan officials, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is effectively coordinating key areas of the Venezuelan government’s work.

The agency notes that modern history has seen virtually no precedent for a single US official exerting this level of influence over a sovereign state.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump suggested that a possible military operation in Cuba could be carried out following the model of Washington’s recent actions in Venezuela. »

### McConnell says a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking weeks of silence about health condition

Authored by apnews.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Mitch McConnell on Sunday revealed for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican’s health.

McConnell explained the four-week silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older.”.

He was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks of work after falling in a Washington hotel. »

## In pictures

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#### Who will replace Lindsey Graham? Here’s what happens next in the Senate