00:00The fight over the Strait of Hormuz is escalating again, why both the U.S. and Iran now claim to
00:07control one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
00:10Plus, the scramble to replace Senator Lindsey Graham is underway, the names already emerging in South Carolina.
00:17And some of the coldest cities are about to feel like the Deep South, where the heat index could hit
00:22100 degrees or more this week.
00:26The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:32These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow.
00:38Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelly.
00:40The fight over the Strait of Hormuz is escalating again this morning, with both the United States and Iran now
00:46claiming control of one of the world's most critical shipping routes.
00:50The latest round of fighting began when Iran struck a container ship off the coast of Oman.
00:55The U.S. responded with a new wave of strikes, targeting air defenses, coastal radar sites, missile and drone systems,
01:03as well as small attack boats that the military says could threaten commercial shipping.
01:08Iranian state media says at least one person was killed and four others wounded.
01:13Both sides now insist they control the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. saying the waterway remains open to
01:20shipping, while Iran continues to claim it has effectively closed it.
01:25The conflict is also spreading across the region.
01:28Kuwait says its air defenses intercepted Iranian attacks overnight.
01:32Jordan's military says it shot down four missiles.
01:35And Bahrain activated its air raid sirens, though officials say no new attacks are confirmed there.
01:43When senators return to Capitol Hill this morning, they will do so without one of the chamber's most recognizable faces
01:50and voices.
01:51South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham's sudden death is now shifting from a weekend of tributes to questions about who fills
01:59his seat and what his absence means for Republicans.
02:02Flags remain at half-staff across Washington after Graham died Saturday night.
02:07His spokesman says preliminary findings from the D.C. medical examiner show he died from an aortic dissection caused by
02:14arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
02:18The 71-year-old had returned from Ukraine just hours earlier, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and continued
02:25pushing for stronger U.S. support against Russia.
02:28On Truth Social, President Trump called Graham a true American patriot, while former President Biden remembered a senator who often
02:36disagreed with him but never lost his commitment to public service.
02:40Senator Chris Coons of Delaware was a friend and was traveling with Graham in Turkey.
02:44Over dinner to celebrate his birthday in Ankara, we were talking about how unlikely it was that either of us
02:52would end up senators.
02:53His childhood was hard. He was orphaned at a young age, and he never imagined he'd be a United States
03:00senator.
03:01He was in a good mood, having just won his primary, and he was very focused on Ukraine.
03:08We had met with President Zelensky earlier that day, and it was a great meeting.
03:12The political focus now shifts to South Carolina.
03:15Governor Henry McMaster will appoint someone to serve the remainder of Graham's term through January.
03:21At the same time, Republicans must quickly choose a new nominee for the November midterm election, as Graham was up
03:27for re-election and was seeking a sixth term.
03:30Congressman Ralph Norman is expected to announce this week whether he will run, while Congressman Nancy Mace is also considering
03:37a bid.
03:38President Trump says he already has a preferred candidate in mind, but told NBC it's too soon to say who.
03:45I have somebody that I think would be great, but I don't want to say it now, because it just,
03:51you know, it's too soon with Lindsey.
03:53I don't want to even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.
03:58While Washington is remembering one Senate giant this morning, another is finally explaining why he's been missing from Capitol Hill.
04:06Senator Mitch McConnell says he was briefly unconscious due to a fall last month at his home in Washington, D
04:13.C.,
04:13and has been recovering from a mild case of pneumonia that he contracted while in the hospital.
04:18The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican released a lengthy statement Sunday, along with a new photo of himself and his
04:25wife, Elaine Chao,
04:27after weeks of growing questions about his condition.
04:29My doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion.
04:34I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke.
04:36I don't have any tumors or hemorrhages, but I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital, he wrote.
04:43McConnell says he has since moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center,
04:47where he is continuing physical therapy as doctors try to determine what caused the fall.
04:52You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older
04:59Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct, he said in a statement.
05:04The senator says he isn't ready to return to the Senate yet,
05:07but plans to complete the final months of his term before retiring in January.
05:12Get ready for another stretch of dangerous heat.
05:16Millions of Americans are under heat alerts as a heat dome settles over the western and central United States.
05:22The National Weather Service says this is the first widespread significant heat wave of the summer
05:28for parts of the Mountain West, Northern Plains and Upper Great Lakes.
05:32The hottest conditions are expected through Tuesday,
05:35with some communities forecast to reach 110 degrees or higher.
05:39Forecasters say those locations could see temperatures that are exceptionally rare for mid-July
05:44and may even set all-time record highs.
05:47For instance, International Falls, Minnesota, known for its bitter cold,
05:51could hit 100 for the first time since 1923.
05:56Health experts are also warning that last month's cooler-than-normal weather
06:00may have left many people less prepared for this kind of heat,
06:03increasing the risk of heat-related illness.
06:06They're urging people to limit time outdoors,
06:09stay in air-conditioned spaces when possible,
06:11and drink plenty of water.
06:13Now to some breaking news this morning.
06:15A familiar face to moviegoers around the world is gone.
06:20Sam Neill, best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, has died.
06:26The New Zealand actor had been battling blood cancer for five years,
06:29but announced in April that he was cancer-free.
06:32In a statement, his family said his death was, quote,
06:35sudden and unexpected,
06:36but called it a blessing that he remained cancer-free until the end.
06:40Beyond Jurassic Park, Neill starred in films including The Piano,
06:45The Hunt for Red October, Event Horizon, and The Hunter,
06:48during a career that spanned more than five decades.
06:51Sam Neill was 78 years old.
06:54Finally this morning, last week we told you Forever stamps were getting more expensive.
06:58This week the Postal Service is trying to add a little more style to your mailbox
07:03with a new collection of Barbie stamps.
07:06Ten new Barbie Forever stamps are now on sale,
07:09featuring the iconic doll in a variety of careers,
07:12including an astronaut, doctor, music star, and soccer player.
07:16The stamps are part of the USPS Forever series,
07:19so they now cost 82 cents each
07:22after the Postal Service's latest price increase took effect over the weekend.
07:26The collection also features Barbie's signature pink throughout the designs.
07:31And Barbie fans got an early look.
07:33The stamps made their debut at the National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention in Austin
07:38before going on sale to the public.
07:40I think the Postal Service is on to something here.
07:42I think those will be popular.
07:44That's just, you know, my prediction.
07:46All right, no noise, no size.
07:48Unbiased Updates gives you the facts straight.
07:50You can watch us anytime at san.com or on the app.
07:54And a special thanks to our listeners on Spotify,
07:56where more and more of you are choosing to start your mornings with us.
08:00Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Monday.
08:02We'll see you back here tomorrow.
08:03For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrelli.
08:06Have a great day.
08:06I'm Craig DeGrelli.
08:09I'm Craig DeGrelli.
08:10I'm Craig DeGrelli.
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