Lindsey O. Graham, A Politician in Full … When then-Rep. Lindsey O. Graham first ran for the Senate in 2002, it was the end of an era.  Graham was seeking to replace the soon-to-be-100 Sen. Strom Thurmond, and South Carolina's junior senator, Fritz Hollings, was eyeing retirement two years later.

McConnell says a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking weeks of silence about health condition  —  Sen. Mitch McConnell on Sunday revealed for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican's health.

US and Iran vie for Strait of Hormuz, waterway key to global energy supplies, in latest attacks  —  The United States and Iran each asserted Monday they controlled the Strait of Hormuz after a weekend of attacks stretching across the wider Middle East, further threatening any diplomacy to end the war.

Peters endorses Stevens in tight Michigan Senate primary contest  —  Washington ― Michigan U.S. Sen. Gary Peters on Monday waded into the messy Democratic primary contest to fill his seat after months on the sidelines, getting behind fellow Oakland County lawmaker Haley Stevens.

Trump election task force to begin releasing classified intel documents  —  A new White House task force reviewing thousands of pages of classified intelligence and law enforcement documents for evidence of irregularities in U.S. elections is expected to begin releasing documents within weeks …

Vance's tough talk on Israel is alienating some Jewish GOP donors  —  JD Vance has an Israel problem.  —  The vice president's pugnacious defense of a ceasefire agreement with Iran that rattled Israeli diplomats — and his tough talk on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government …

House Republicans left DC in a jam.  It's not clear when they'll get out of it. … First, they'll have to put down a weekslong internal revolt that has ground the House floor to a halt.  —  Taking cues from President Donald Trump, hard-liners are falling in behind Rep. Anna Paulina Luna …

Inside Israel's Secret Operation to Cultivate Ahmadinejad … Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's former leader, was known for accelerating Iran's nuclear program and his anti-Israel views.Todd Heisler/The New York Times

States Prepare Lawsuit to Block Paramount's Merger With Warner Bros.  —  State attorneys general are said to be getting ready to file a lawsuit as soon as this week to halt the $111 billion deal, a potential major obstacle.  —  A group of states are preparing to file a lawsuit …

The Times' Subpoena Showdown … Over the last few days, as The New York Times braces for a potential precedent-setting legal showdown with the Trump administration over press freedom, the newspaper's top leadership has been in close contact with the five reporters targeted by federal prosecutors …

The House's top progressive thinks Democrats are failing on AI  —  The chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus says Democrats are “in the wilderness” when it comes to artificial intelligence — warning that members of his party are being cowed by special interests and must look beyond data centers …

With Threats Rising, Supreme Court Asks Congress to Increase Security Funds  —  Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan are scheduled to make a rare appearance at the Capitol to testify about the court's more than $200 million request.  —  The Supreme Court is asking for millions of dollars …

One Weird Trick for Torpedoing Todd Blanche's Hearing  —  Trump voters tell me again and again they're disappointed with the president over one thing.  It could complicate his hopes for a new attorney general.  —  ∙ Paid  —  WHEN ATTORNEY GENERAL-DESIGNATE Todd Blanche appears …