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Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, sworn in as senator

Darline Graham Nordone speaks during a press conference outside the Governor’s South Carolina State House office on July 13, 2026 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) — Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, was officially sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon to finish the remainder of her late brother’s term.

Republican Chuck Grassley, the president pro tempore of the Senate, presided over the ceremony.

Darline Graham was escorted by fellow South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, both Republicans, as she approached to dais to take the oath of office. The chamber, filled with a number of Democratic and Republican senators, applauded after she was sworn in.

Lindsey Graham, a four-term Republican senator, died over the weekend at the age of 71. Darline Graham will serve out the remaining months of his current term, which expires in January.

Darline Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday. President Donald Trump supported her appointment, calling it a fabulous tribute” to Lindsey Graham, who at a young age became Darline Graham’s legal guardian after the deaths of their parents.

“Lindsey has always been there for me. And now I will be there for him,” Darline Graham said on Monday.

Who is Darline Graham?

Darline Graham, who lives in Lexington, South Carolina, has served since 2019 as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, according to a biography provided by Gov. McMaster’s office on Monday. She also serves on the South Carolina State Workforce Development Board and is president-elect of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind.

She also previously held roles with Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce and the South Carolina Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, the governor’s office said.

Darline Graham, a mother of two, earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston, a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and is a certified public manager, according to the release.

After their parents died when Lindsey Graham was 22 years old, he took on a caretaker role for Darline Graham, then 13, and became her legal guardian. Talking to C-SPAN in 2015, Lindsey Graham said his sister’s success was “the highlight” of his life “by far.”

Their close relationship was evident throughout Lindsey Graham’s political career. Darline Graham appeared with him several times on the campaign trail and in campaign videos.

“It is such a privilege to get to finish some of his important work, and I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States,” she said on Monday.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Danish high schoolers will have to verbally defend written assignments, in government move to combat AI cheating

By CNN
(CNN) — High school students in Denmark will be required to verbally defend their written assignments as part of emergency government measures aimed at combating AI cheating.A verbal defense will be needed for all exams written at home, Denmark’s Ministry of Education announced in a statement Thursday, adding that it will work with schools to create the best framework for this.The rule, which comes into force immediately, applies to students in upper secondary education, which typically begins around age 16. It will include the approximately 9,000 students enrolled in the country’s two-year Higher Preparatory Examination program, who have to submit major written assignments each year, according to the ministry.The ministry is also calling on high schools to use tools to monitor students’ screens during exams, as well as a firewall to filter the content they can access during exams and in class.In addition, it is encouraging schools to get students to complete more assignments in school, under controlled environments, to make supervision easier.“Unfortunately, we have a problem with students using AI to cheat in upper secondary school,” Education Minister Magnus Heunicke said in the statement. “Action is needed now, and we are starting with these three initiatives.”“In the coming period, I will be engaging with schools, teachers and students about what can be done both in the short and longer term to ensure that AI does not undermine students’ skills, academic abilities and, not least, their ability to think for themselves,” he continued.‘Important first step’Three upper secondary school organisations — representing school leaders, teachers and students — welcomed the moves but called for more long-term solutions due to the “rapid pace of technological development,” the high schools association, Danske Gymnasier, said in a statement Thursday.Anders Frikke, chair of the Danish Association of Upper Secondary School Teachers (GL), said teachers “appreciate” that the education minister “has acted both swiftly and decisively. However, we also have additional proposals that we hope the Minister will consider.”“These include requiring students to clearly declare when AI has been used in major written assignments and ensuring that preparation for oral examinations takes place without access to AI,” he added.While students also “welcome” the emergency initiatives, “it is important that the increased amount of written work carried out at school is organised in a way that genuinely strengthens students’ learning, rather than simply moving the work from home to school,” Oscar Tønsberg Hoffmann, chair of the Danish Upper Secondary Students’ Association (DGS), said in the statement.He added that it is “essential that students have the opportunity to contribute to the development of longer-term solutions.”The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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