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Sen. Lindsey Graham’s memorial services set for later this month

Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the FY2027 budget request on Capitol Hill on May 12, 2026, in Washington. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The late Sen. Lindsey Graham will be honored later this month with separate services in Washington, D.C. and South Carolina, after the Republican died unexpectedly on July 11.

Graham’s office announced Friday that the senator’s life and legacy will be celebrated Tuesday, July 28 in Washington before separate services Wednesday, July 29 in South Carolina: Columbia, the state’s capital, and Pickens County, where Graham grew up and part of the district Graham represented.

While Graham’s office did not announce a location for the service in Washington, congressional sources told ABC News that the event is being held at the Washington National Cathedral. Graham’s office said that additional details regarding the services are forthcoming.

It’s not yet clear whether President Donald Trump will attend or have a role in the services.

Graham, a Trump ally who died serving in his fifth term in the Senate, was born in Central, South Carolina, in 1955. He graduated from Daniel High School in Central in 1973, according to his congressional biography.

Preliminary findings from the Medical Examiner of the District of Columbia said Graham died from an “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.”

Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, was sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday after she was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster just days after her brother’s death. 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.

On Friday, Trump called on Darline Graham to run in the upcoming special primary election for Senate in South Carolina, which would set her up to potentially fill the seat of her late brother in a more permanent way. 

Darline Graham has not yet announced whether she intends to run for the seat for the full term. A source involved with South Carolina politics told ABC News on Friday that she has been having conversations about running in the special election. 

ABC News has reached out to Darline Graham’s office, but did not immediately hear back.

Darline Graham, who lives in Lexington, South Carolina, has served since 2019 as commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. 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.

A special-election primary is scheduled for Aug. 11 to determine a Republican candidate for the Nov. 3 general election ballot — though a runoff could occur two weeks later if no candidate secures an absolute majority of votes.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Flames shoot from engine of American Airlines plane that hit birds as it was taking off

(CNN) — An American Airline Boeing 737 hit birds while taking off from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Monday, leading to flames shooting from an engine and an emergency landing.“Mayday, mayday, mayday. We’ve got a engine problem here,” the pilot reported shortly after takeoff according to a recording from LiveATC.net.181 people were onboard American flight 1760 which was originally headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, the pilot told air traffic control.“I saw he took up birds, it looked like, at least in the left side engine,” another pilot who saw the bird strike said on the radio.Patrick Gotwalt was a passenger on the flight and recorded a video showing flames coming from the engine as the flight appears to be flying over water.Lindsey Mackey told CNN she was on the beach, heard several loud popping noises and see the orange flashes coming from the left wing.As the plane circled and prepared to return to the airport and emergency crews assembled, operations workers found the remains of the birds on the runway.“We’ve got a lot of bird debris out here. We’re going to grab as many big pieces as we can,” they said on the radio.Bird remains recovered from airplane strikes, called snarge, are sent to the Smithsonian Institution’s lab in Washington DC, where they are analyzed to determine the species. The data gathered can help understand what animals are being hit and help prevent future strikes.In 2025 more than 24,000 wildlife strikes were reported in the United States, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s database.The plane which hit the birds Monday eventually landed back in Myrtle Beach.“The aircraft landed ​safely ​and has been ​taken out ​of service ​to be inspected ​by ​our maintenance ​team,” American Airlines said in a statement to CNN. “Our ​team is working to ​get customers ​on ​their ​way to ​Charlotte ​as soon as possible,”The flight crew reported striking a bird while departing, the FAA said. The agency will investigate the incident.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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