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Jul 13, 2026 - World

The decision by the Trump administration to go after New York Times reporters with subpoenas after they reported on the critical vulnerabilities with a Qatari plane gifted to the president was hammered on MS NOW on Monday morning. Appearing on “Morning Joe,” an incensed Jim VandeHei, founder of Axios, claimed the decision to fly the luxury jet into the Middle East put the president and the nation at risk. Then he blasted conservatives who are applauding the DOJ investigation.MS NOW contributor Katty Kay prompted VandeHei with, “Jim, you and I were talking during the break about how this seems like overkill from the White House to issue these subpoenas. Is this just because the president was embarrassed about the reporting when we knew that this plane wasn't ready in a defensive capacity?”“Yeah, I think it's both dumb and dangerous, right?” he shot back. “It's dumb in that it was pretty widely known that this aircraft wasn't up to the standards of Air Force One. That usually goes to a two-year period of being built and being vetted, and everybody knew that this was gifted by the Qataris. Everyone also knows that the Iranians are trying to actively assassinate the president of the United States, and he's in the Middle East.” "And so this idea then is that you go after the reporters — and they wrote about it after the fact — the only way you'd actually have a plausible case is if you put the president's life at risk or you really jeopardize national security because you reported it before it happened,” he continued before repeating, “They reported it after it happened.”“And anybody out there who's like, ‘Oh, yeah, but oh, it's the New York Times, I hate the New York Times,’ again, you have to always think about imagine that the other party does this,” he cautioned. “Any time that you don't like a story, that you send agents of the federal government to their home to try to intimidate them because they wrote something that made you feel uncomfortable, that was actually authentically, really, really important to the safety of the president of the United States, whether you like him or not, matters profoundly. And so when you start doing these things, you start normalizing these things, and if anybody cheers it, you better cheer it when they come after you.” - YouTube youtu.be

Jul 13, 2026 - World

Sam Neill, the popular New Zealand actor whose career spanned five decades and encompassed more than 150 film and television roles, has passed away in Sydney. The actor, best recognized for portraying paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant across multiple "Jurassic Park" installments, was 78.His family shared the news through a social media announcement, noting that Neill "passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life" while surrounded by loved ones, The New York Times reported.Neill had battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma following his diagnosis in early 2022.Originating in Northern Ireland before relocating to New Zealand during his childhood, Neill launched his acting journey in the late 1960s, becoming known for his striking appearance and distinctive vocal delivery.His body of work included critically acclaimed New Zealand features such as "The Piano" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," popular entertainment franchises including "Thor: Love and Thunder," and the acclaimed British drama series "Peaky Blinders."Australian political leaders paid tribute to Neill's cultural impact, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighting the actor's connection to the country, writing on X: “Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humor and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.”

Jul 12, 2026 - World

A former CIA officer on Sunday floated a disturbing new theory about when late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) actually died.Reports indicate that Graham suffered from cardiac arrest at his Washington, D.C., residence late Saturday night, and that he was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital later that night. However, the timeline of events leading up to Graham's death didn't make sense to former CIA officer Charles Johnson, who floated a new theory about when Graham died in a new Substack essay. "This is total bulls---!" Johnson wrote about the official story of Graham's death. Johnson noted that Graham had traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 10, which makes the timeline of his death harder to believe. "So, let’s go [through] the timeline," Johnson wrote. "Senator Graham arrived in Kyiv between 09:45 [and] 10:45 local on July 10th. The train he took from Poland departed Warsaw at 18:15 hours local on July 9th. It was an overnight train. To arrive in Poland in time to take the 18:15 train, Lindsey would have departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours.""So, Lindsey Graham arrives in Kyiv by 11 am (sic) Friday morning. He meets with Zelensky and tours a drone factory. Then we are asked to believe that he returns to Washington, D.C., after spending less than 24 hours on the ground. Again, I call bulls---!!" he added. Additional details of Graham's trip made it seem likely that he actually died in Kyiv, possibly while he was traveling back to the U.S., Johnson noted. "The earliest train back to Warsaw departs Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi at 07:40–08:00 on the 11th and arrives Przemyśl Główny in the afternoon (~17:00–18:00). That is at least nine hours. That would make it roughly 1100 hours in Washington, D.C.," he wrote. "Let’s assume he has an hour to get to the airport and the plane takes off at 1900 hours local from Poland. The flight going west takes 10 hours… This means the earliest the plane could have landed at Dulles is midnight on the 11th. That is 3 ½ hours after Graham reportedly died at home," Johnson added.

Jul 12, 2026 - World

Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) sudden death reverberated across the globe on Sunday as world leaders reacted to the news. Graham died late Saturday night after a "brief and sudden illness," according to his office. It is believed that Graham suffered from cardiac arrest before his death. President Donald Trump described the late Senator as "one of the greatest people and Senators that I have ever known." Leaders of American-allied nations reacted to the news on Sunday, offering condolences to Graham's family and colleagues. However, the mercurial senator's death also sparked a more terse reaction from America's enemies, particularly inside the Kremlin. "He worked tirelessly to strengthen sanctions, in close coordination with the E.U.," Ursula von der Leyen, the E.U. commission president, remembered in a post on X. "A determined and fearless leader. He will be deeply missed." "Throughout his career, he stood resolutely in defense of democracy and freedom, most recently and particularly with Ukraine and its people," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X. "I offer my condolences to Senator Graham’s family, friends, and all those who served alongside him."Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, also thanked Graham for his staunch advocacy for Ukrainians defending their country against Russian aggression. "We will always be especially grateful for the recognition of our people and words of admiration for the courage of Ukraine’s defenders," Zelenskyy noted in a post on X. "America and the world have lost a determined leader."Graham's death sparked a much different message inside Russia's Kremlin and among the Putin regime's propagandists, The Daily Beast reported. Alexey Pushkov, a Russian lawmaker who represents Putin's party, called Graham "bloodthirsty" in a Telegram post shortly after his death, according to the report. Kremlin propagandist Sergei Mardan added that the Russian people "certainly won't miss him," the report added.

Jul 12, 2026 - World

Shortly after the United States launched a fresh round of strikes at Iran on Sunday, the United Nations secretary-general pleaded with all parties to practice restraint, or risk sparking global and imminent “catastrophic consequences.”On Saturday, the United States launched strikes at Iran in response to an attack on a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and in a manner that Iran claimed to be in violation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement. Iran responded early Sunday morning with strikes targeting major U.S. allies in the region.On Sunday, the United States retaliated again with a new wave of strikes, only this time, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres pleaded with all parties involved to stop hostilities, The New York Times reported.“A return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences [for the region and for the global economy],” Guterres said, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.Guterres went on to say he was “deeply concerned by the serious escalation” and urged both the United States and Iran “to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalatory action and take immediate steps to de-escalate.”The United States’ most recent attack on Iran, according to a U.S. official who spoke with the Times under the condition of anonymity, was to degrade “Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping vessels,” the Times reported.On Saturday, Iran also announced that the Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping route through which around 20% of the world’s oil trade flows – was “closed until further notice,” citing “America’s interventions in the region.”