The briefing for Sunday, July 12.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham died Saturday evening at age 71 following "a brief and sudden illness," according to his office. The South Carolina Republican had just returned from Ukraine on Friday, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky to work on Russia sanctions legislation. His office did not provide additional details about his death and said his family asked for privacy.

Graham was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy and a close ally of President Trump. First elected to the Senate in 2002 after serving in the House, the former Air Force lawyer promoted robust U.S. military interventionism throughout his career. His relationship with Trump evolved dramatically—he was a vocal critic during the 2016 campaign, even saying after the January 6 Capitol riots that he was counting himself out. But he later became one of Trump's staunchest defenders, voting against conviction in the 2021 impeachment trial.

Trump posted on social media early Sunday that Graham was "one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known" and called him "a true American Patriot." Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham "believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause." Zelensky said America and the world "have lost a determined leader," noting Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia's full-scale invasion. Graham's death creates significant implications for Senate foreign policy leadership and Ukraine support at a critical moment in ongoing negotiations.

The Justice Department has subpoenaed New York Times journalists after they reported security concerns involving President Trump's new Air Force One, with federal agents delivering some subpoenas to reporters' homes. The subpoenas demand the reporters testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week. According to the Times, the journalists subpoenaed included Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt.

The subpoenas came after FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials met at the White House on Friday to discuss the matter, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Before the Times published its first story, a senior FBI official contacted a reporter and editor asking that the article be held, citing national security issues. The FBI official declined to explain the specific security concern but asked the Times to disclose its sources, which the newspaper refused to do.

The Times had reported that Trump used an older Air Force One model to leave a NATO summit in Turkey on the Secret Service's advice, and that security officials had concerns the newer Qatari-gifted plane lacked advanced security features including antimissile capabilities. The Justice Department told the BBC it is investigating illegal leaks, saying "Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are." David McCraw, the Times's top newsroom lawyer, called the summons "a brazen act" and "nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs."

President Trump posted on social media Saturday that he has left standing orders for the U.S. military to destroy Iran "at levels they've never seen before" if Tehran assassinates him, claiming "1,000 missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran." However, the U.S. government has no mechanism to create an automatic "dead man's switch" that would prompt immediate retaliation without human authorization.

If Trump were killed, the transfer of power is governed by the 25th Amendment and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Vice President JD Vance would instantaneously become commander in chief and have sole authority for any retaliation. Under such a scenario, Vance could follow Trump's directive or choose a different response—or no direct military response at all.

According to Garrett M. Graff, author of "Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself," the U.S. has "for a whole variety of reasons, never utilized a technical 'dead man's switch.'" While the United States maintains extensive contingency plans for continuity of government in the event of a nuclear attack or catastrophe, those plans do not allow for automatically launching retaliatory strikes upon a president's death, even if that president had demanded military readiness to do so.

The U.S. conducted strikes against Iran this week after three commercial tankers were attacked while crossing a U.S.-recommended route through Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes killed 17 people and injured 115, according to Iranian officials. Iran responded with strikes on U.S. allies in the Gulf, prompting Trump to declare the June ceasefire over, though he said talks would continue.

Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has called for revenge for his father's killing, escalating rhetoric as mediators attempt to revive the peace process. The attacks on tankers followed Iran's repeated statements that the only "safe" route through the strait is a separate path through its waters, not the U.S.-recommended route. According to U.S. media reports, Iran told American officials through mediators that the tanker attacks were a mistake and blamed a rogue internal group.

U.S. officials say they have conveyed through mediators the demand that Iran publicly state the Strait of Hormuz is open and pledge to stop firing on commercial ships ahead of planned Saturday talks. The strait is a vital international shipping route. The war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, prompting Iran to attack Israel and U.S. targets and allies in the Gulf before the June ceasefire agreement was reached.

Apple filed a federal lawsuit Friday accusing OpenAI of systematically stealing trade secrets through the hiring of former Apple employees. The suit also names two former Apple workers now at OpenAI—Chang Liu, a senior electrical engineer who worked at Apple for eight years, and Tang Yew Tan, who spent 24 years with Apple and is now OpenAI's chief hardware officer. Apple is also suing io Products, the design startup founded by former Apple executive Jony Ive that OpenAI acquired last year.

Apple alleges at least two long-time employees who left for OpenAI took part in "a pattern of theft" by emailing themselves internal Apple information. The lawsuit claims OpenAI interviews of current Apple employees for potential jobs include requests that candidates "bring 'actual parts' as 'props' from Apple for 'show and tell'" during interviews. Apple said it attempted to discuss its concerns with OpenAI in February but was ignored.

The lawsuit represents a dramatic shift in relations between the companies. Apple CEO Tim Cook had previously integrated ChatGPT into Apple devices, though the company has since shifted more AI features to Google's Gemini model. OpenAI is expected to release its first hardware product—a type of keyboard for use with its AI tools—this month and is planning to become publicly traded. Drew Pusateri, an OpenAI spokesman, said the company has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets" and is reviewing Apple's complaint. Apple is seeking an immediate prohibition on OpenAI's use of alleged confidential information and unspecified monetary damages.