The death of Sen. Lindsey Graham and the long hospitalization of Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former majority leader, are poignant reminders that time conquers even political careers marked by great power and ubiquity. But a closing era in the Senate GOP is also one data point in a wider trend: The tectonic plates of US politics are shifting as postponed generational change beckons, battles rage over the ideological futures of both parties, and leaders struggle to ease voter anxiety over eroded economic security and war abroad. President Donald Trump is wielding power as relentlessly as ever to try to slow the political clock and to dispel the curse of the lame duck. But his fixation with physical monuments to his presidency also speaks to the mindset of an 80-year-old second-termer consumed by legacy.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/politics/lindsey-graham-death-mitch-mcconnell-hospital-what-next
We’re going to miss this World Cup when it’s over next week. We were treated to two brilliant quarterfinals yesterday, which saw both England and Argentina advance to the last four at the expense of Norway and Switzerland. For England, it was all about one name: Jude Bellingham. I’ve given up on guessing where the 23-year-old plays, he’s sort of just everywhere on the pitch and he netted twice to inspire his team past Erling Haaland’s Norway.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/12/sport/the-beautiful-game-july-12
Anastasiya Minkova collapsed in shock when she arrived home from a trip last September to find that her husband had moved out and taken their two-year-old son. The US-Russian citizen is now fighting for custody of the child, who CNN is calling Ren to protect his identity. The last time Minkova saw Ren was six months ago – when they spent 30 minutes together, playing with toys at a children’s home, under the watchful eye of staff.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/11/asia/japan-law-parental-child-abduction-intl-hnk-dst
Amanuel wakes up each day not knowing if it will be his last. A rap at his cell door could mean his time is up; no farewell call, no last meal. Executions in Saudi Arabia often arrive without warning. “I’m a dead man walking,” he says. “After my friends were executed, I don’t eat food, I don’t drink water.” Amanuel is a pseudonym for one young prisoner who’s been imprisoned for several years. CNN obtained his account from inside Khamis Mushait prison, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. CNN is not naming him for his own protection.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/africa/ethiopian-migrants-saudi-arabia-death-row-intl
Jannik Sinner is starting to make a habit of responding to adversity in Paris with titles at Wimbledon. The top-ranked Sinner beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 Sunday for his second consecutive title at the All England Club after his German opponent appeared bothered by a knee issue following a slip to the grass on a key point in the third set. Sinner’s fifth Grand Slam title came in his first tournament since a second-round meltdown at the French Open, when he wilted in a Paris heat wave.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/12/sport/wimbledon-mens-final-sinner-zverev