NPR News: 07-13-2026 3PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. A federal judge has slammed President Trump's lawsuit over his leaked tax returns, saying it was filed in bad faith for an improper purpose. The judge also recommended sanctions for attorneys involved in the matter. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas.

Ryan Lucas0:20

In her fifty-six-page order, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams blasts President Trump's lawsuit against the IRS over his leaked tax returns. The suit ended with a settlement, which included the creation of a nearly one point eight billion dollar anti-weaponization fund, which has since been scrapped. Judge Williams says Trump's lawsuit was brought to manipulate the judicial process and to try to use the court to provide some legitimacy to the eventual settlement and the earmarking of billions of taxpayer dollars to address grievances not defined in the law. The judge referred one of Trump's lawyers for potential disciplinary action. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.

Lakshmi Singh· Host1:00

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is expected in the coming hours to announce who he selected to succeed Senator Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday at the age of seventy-one, likely from a tear in his aorta, according to officials. President Trump says he thinks Graham's sister should temporarily fill the role. Graham is being remembered as a foreign policy hawk. NPR's Here and Now spoke with Politico Politics Bureau Chief Jonathan Martin about the Republican lawmaker's impact.

Jonathan Martin· Soundbite1:29

He was driven