US and Iran Trade Attacks Again, Sen. Lindsay Graham Dies, Congress Returns
7/13/202612 min
The U.S. and Iran are continuing to fight over control of the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of heavy strikes, with the U.S. hitting dozens of Iranian targets and Iran firing at American bases in the Middle East.
Senator Lindsey Graham has died at the age of 71, the South Carolina Republican was a committed advocate of U.S. military intervention abroad and a close ally of President Trump.
And as Congress returns from recess, Republican are facing tighter voting margins than before with Senator Graham’s death and Senator Mitch McConnel's absence.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Tina Kraja, Anna Yukhananov, Jason Breslow, Ziad Buchh, Mohamad ElBardicy and HJ Mai.
It was produced by Paige Waterhouse and Nia Dumas.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Eowyn Fain.
Our technical director is Damian Herring.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsA Martinez· Host0:00
[upbeat music] The U.S. war in Iran went back into high gear over the weekend.
Michel Martin· Host0:05
Iran attacked another commercial ship and declared the Strait of Hormuz closed. U.S. Central Command says it struck dozens of targets and insists Iran does not control the strait.
A Martinez· Host0:14
I'm A Martinez. That's Michelle Martin. And this is Up First from NPR News. [upbeat music] Senator Lindsey Graham was a tough critic of candidate Trump, who became one of President Trump's strongest allies in Congress. He died suddenly this weekend at the age of 71. What legacy does the South Carolina Republican leave behind?
Michel Martin· Host0:32
And Congress returns to session today. Senate Republicans already had a long to-do list. With Graham's death and Senator Mitch McConnell's absence, their thin margins are even thinner. How will they pass their agenda? Stay with us. We'll give you news you need to start your day.
Speaker 30:46
[upbeat music] This message comes from Wise, the smart way to manage your money around the world. With Wise, you can send, spend, and receive money in over 40 currencies at the mid-market rate. Learn more at wise.com. T's and C's apply.
Speaker 41:05
The NPR network has always been powered by the people it serves, not by shareholders or special interests, but by people like you and me who believe in a free and independent press. We're approaching one year since Congress eliminated federal funding for public media. Together, we continue the kind of journalism that we, the public, rely on. Please support this work today at plus.npr.org.