We open with the sudden death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham at 71, the preliminary finding that an aortic dissection linked to heart disease causes his passing, and the many theories that spread before those medical facts arrive. We hear President Trump discuss his final telephone call with Graham, their complicated political history, Graham’s work ethic, and his ability to negotiate with both parties. We also examine South Carolina’s fast-moving replacement process, Mitch McConnell’s hospital photo and pneumonia recovery, the demand for health transparency from public servants, and the second anniversary of the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Closer to home, we cover destructive storms in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, the sentencing of former corrections officer Kristina Miller, and the rescue of a five-year-old boy who escapes a barricaded bedroom in a filthy Lebanon County home. We get into Pennsylvania’s $50.8 billion budget, mandatory recess for younger students, school-choice frustration, and the Cyclospora outbreak tied to severe stomach illness. The crew also reacts to the live-action Moana remake’s weak opening, Zack Wheeler rejecting a late All-Star invitation, Cristopher Sánchez earning the National League starting assignment, and Philadelphia preparing for the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game.
Nick Shirley’s investigation into a Queens adult daycare claiming nearly 7,900 patients puts millions in taxpayer funds under the microscope. Kamala Harris visits a WNBA game, Caitlin Clark’s influence and hard fouls return to the conversation, and Josh Shapiro’s baseball skills face review. Mick Jagger says performers should give fans an escape rather than a political lecture, Fight Club brings a violent Oracle Park brawl, Sheriff Grady Judd presents another Florida case, and Erika Kirk speaks after an emotional week in court. We close with Dawn’s Big Three, covering Butler, Graham, Iran, the University of Minnesota’s MyGender Dolls project, the Ben Franklin Bridge’s 100th birthday, and a major Philadelphia heat watch.
