At just 22 years old, Lindsey Graham faced the unimaginable when he lost both of his parents within a span of 15 months. Faced with the task of raising his 13-year-old sister, Darline, he stepped up to the challenge with unwavering determination.

Lindsey put his personal aspirations on the back burner to take care of Darline, eventually adopting her so she could benefit from his military entitlements.

In a touching moment from his recent re-election campaign advertisement, Darline emotionally recounted the day they found themselves orphaned.

“Lindsey rushed in, enveloping me in a hug and reassuringly saying, ‘I am so sorry, but it’s going to be OK. I’m going to take care of you.’ And he did just that. He has always been my pillar of support,” she recalled.

When approached for an interview on Monday, Darline respectfully declined, telling the Daily Mail that discussing her brother’s memory so soon after his passing was ‘too difficult.’

Graham, 71, was a lifelong bachelor, and his sister and her two daughters were his only close family. Preliminary findings from the DC medical examiner’s office found he died of an aortic dissection caused by cardiovascular disease after paramedics were called to his Capitol Hill home Saturday night for chest pains.

He told the Daily Mail in 2015 during his presidential run that Darline could serve as first lady if he ever made it to the White House.

‘I’ve got a sister, she could play that role if necessary,’ he said, adding with a chuckle, ‘I’ve got a lot of friends. We’ll have a rotating first lady.’

Now Darline, 63, has entered politics in the most tragic circumstances, named South Carolina’s interim senator with Donald Trump’s blessing.

A Republican primary in August will decide who takes the seat when Graham’s term expires in January.

‘This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly,’ Trump posted on Truth Social.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster is set to appoint Darline at a press conference at 4pm, sources told CBS News.

The siblings grew up sharing a single room behind the Sanitary Cafe, the bar, pool hall and liquor store their parents ran on Main Street in the small town of Central, South Carolina.

The family later moved into a trailer and then a house next door to the bar.

Darline leaned on her big brother long before they were orphaned, running to him whenever she was sick or stuck on her homework.

He taught her to ride a bike, sprinting alongside and shouting encouragement, and picked her up when she fell.

‘He’s kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one,’ she told the New York Times in 2015.

Their mother died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1976, and a heart attack claimed their father a little more than a year later.

Darline moved in with an aunt and uncle while Graham finished his studies at the University of South Carolina.

He gave up his weekends to travel home and care for her while his classmates stayed on campus to enjoy themselves.

He then enlisted in the Air Force, where his guardianship of Darline allowed her to qualify for his benefits, and she has credited him with getting her through high school and on to college.

She went on to become a mother of two and built a career helping people with disabilities find work, a success her brother wore as a badge of honor.

‘Of all the things that have happened in my life, her turning out so well is the highlight of it by far,’ Graham told C-SPAN in 2015.

Darline introduced him on stage when he launched his White House bid in their hometown in 2015.

‘Lindsey was always my parent,’ she said at the time. ‘There was no doubt in my mind or anyone else’s mind that Lindsey was my guardian.’

She has said his devotion to raising her was the reason he never married.

‘He was just dedicating all of that time to raising me and going to school and trying to get an education. There’s just only so much time in a day,’ she told the Times.

Fifty years after he promised to take care of her, Darline is expected to be sworn in as his successor, the sister he raised now serving as caretaker to his constituents of more than two decades.

A California college student finds himself entrenched in serious legal troubles, accused of the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl at his dormitory. Currently, Andres Manuel Aguilar, a 19-year-old attendee of Menlo College, remains behind bars without the possibility of bail. Prosecutors and investigators are actively assessing the situation, considering the possibility of other victims stepping forward.

Aguilar faces grave charges, including two counts of forcible sexual assault—specifically rape and oral copulation. Additionally, he is charged with a felony for allegedly providing marijuana to a minor during what is claimed to have been a May 5 incident.

The case proceedings took a brief pause, with the preliminary hearing being pushed to August 27. Meanwhile, investigators continue to delve into details that could lead to further indictments.

San Mateo County District Attorney, Steve Wagstaffe, remarked to the media, “There is nothing new to report regarding a potential second victim in the Aguilar investigation.” He noted that the case’s adjournment to August 27 allows ample time for law enforcement to thoroughly investigate. This will inform the prosecutor’s decision on whether there is enough evidence to levy additional charges concerning another alleged victim.

According to court notes provided to News Media by San Francisco affiliate FOX 2, prosecutors allege the girl snuck out of her home after previously meeting Aguilar at a Menlo Park bus stop. Although the girl told Aguilar she was 17 years old, prosecutors said he acknowledged she was still underage.

The pair walked to a Safeway store, where prosecutors say they obtained beer and rum before returning to Aguilar’s dorm room. There, investigators allege they drank alcohol and vaped marijuana before Aguilar sexually assaulted the girl despite her repeatedly telling him “no.”

Aguilar then allegedly became concerned about a possible pregnancy and used DoorDash to have a Plan B emergency contraceptive delivered to his dorm room before giving it to the girl.

Investigators also say dormitory surveillance video captured Aguilar and the girl entering his room before later showing the girl leaving.

In a statement, Menlo College said it takes allegations of criminal conduct seriously and is cooperating with law enforcement, but declined to comment on Aguilar specifically.

“Due to federal and state privacy laws and College policy, Menlo College cannot comment on matters involving identifiable individuals,” the statement read, adding that further questions should be directed to the Atherton Police Department.

Wagstaffe said investigators are encouraging anyone who believes they may have been victimized by Aguilar to contact law enforcement.

“It is our hope that if there are additional victims out there, we want them to come forward so we can provide justice for any such crimes,” Wagstaffe said.

Whether additional charges are filed will depend on the evidence gathered during the ongoing investigation, the district attorney added.

News Media has reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding Aguilar’s immigration status, as well as The United Firm | La Liga Defensora, which is representing Aguilar, for comment.

The gripping docuseries, Murder 101, under the direction of Stacey Lee, dives deep into a chilling investigation led by high school students in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The series follows Alex Campbell’s sociology class as they delve into the Redhead Murders—a grim case from the mid-1980s involving several unidentified women, all with red hair, found deceased in Tennessee over a span of six months. The mystery had long gone cold until Campbell’s class reignited the investigation in 2018, prompting renewed interest from law enforcement.

MURDER 101: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot: The series opens with the haunting sound of a recording. A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent begins documenting an interview with a woman who narrowly survived a brutal assault. The camera captures the starkness of the interrogation room, focusing on an ashtray and a jacket adorned with the TBI emblem.

The Gist: Viewers are then introduced to Alex Campbell’s students at Elizabethton High School, who are intently listening to the recording. Campbell swiftly interrupts the audio to underline the immediacy of the post-attack context to his students, immersing them into the stark realities of the case.

Despite growing up in Elizabethton, Campbell knew little of the Redhead Murders. The vague details were largely due to the anonymity of the victims and the absence of DNA or genetic genealogy techniques in the 1980s. Driven by a meticulous eye for detail and a passion for hands-on education, Campbell launched an investigative effort with his students starting in 2018.

The docuseries captures the progression of this investigation through the eyes of Campbell’s 2025 class. Among them is William McDuffie, who documents their journey through film. His classmates share their insights and progress as they strive to unravel the mystery. Hannah Metcalf returns to the class for a second year, fueled by her determination to solve the case. Meanwhile, newcomer Crimson Lashorne navigates the dynamics of her new school, quickly finding herself absorbed by the intrigue and complexity of the unsolved murders.

Along the way, Campbell teaches his class about making FOIA requests and how frustrating they can be, but also tries to get them to see the reasons why the case remained cold for over 30 years. A lot of it was because media coverage at the time concentrated on the lives the identified victims led — prostitutes or drug users — instead of seeing the victims as people with lives.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Murder 101, based on a podcast of the same name, feels like a bit of a cross between American High and Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer.

Our Take: The most fascinating thing we found about Murder 101 is that, for seven years, Campbell and his various classes have been trying to solve this extremely complex case in 45-minute bursts. We’re not sure if every period he has with this particular group is all about what they know and what they want to find out about the Redhead Murders, but they certainly spend a good amount of their time investigating. At least some of the students also continue to work on it outside of class.

If you’re wondering what investigating a serial killer has to do with sociology, you won’t after watching the first episode of this series. The students are being led through what law enforcement and previous classes have uncovered, including the identities of about a half-dozen victims and a person linked to not only one of the deaths but to the attack of Linda Marie Schacke, the only woman who survived. They’re building a profile of the killer given what they know about previous serial killer cases.

But they’re also learning skills that will help them in just about any facet of life. There’s a scene where the students call various county offices to make FOIA requests for law enforcement records, and they’re shunted to various voice mails or disconnected. This helps them learn to be more forthright in transactions, even if it’s just making a doctor’s appointment on the phone.

Most importantly, though, Campbell is making them see exactly why the victims were seen in such a poor light back in the ’80s, and tries to get them to look at the victims and their loved ones with the empathy they all deserve. As we watched, we were impressed with Campbell’s ability to get the teens interested in this case and how effectively he was able to teach the lessons he wanted to impart to them via the various things they had to look into in order to move this case forward.

Performance Worth Watching: Campbell seems to be a bit of a renaissance man, who built a huge log cabin for him and his family, makes costumes for historical reenactments, and more. He equates himself to being a rat in the bowels of the Titanic, with the lumbering and doomed ship symbolizing public education.

Sex And Skin: None.

Parting Shot: After sending Linda Schacke a video where the students talk about how much they care about the victims in this case and want to hear her side of the story, she sits down on a Zoom call with the class, talking about her attack for the first time in about four decades.

Sleeper Star: Hannah Metcalf is not only completely dedicated to this case, but she’s also extremely smart and very insightful for someone so young. We also liked Wil Bowers, who was in the original 2018 class and was the students’ spokesperson when they had a press conference about the case.

Most Pilot-y Line: None that we could find. Though we will cite how grating the class bell at Elizabethton High School is. It sounds like an out-of-tune harmonica.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Murder 101 is a fascinating look at how a sociology teacher gets his class to learn via one of the most interesting projects we’ve ever seen a class take on. But it’s also a treatise on why cases like the Redhead Murders go cold for decades.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.

Former President Donald Trump has expressed his desire for the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister to assume his vacant Senate seat following his unexpected passing.

On social media, Trump shared, “I proposed to Governor Henry McMaster that Lindsey Graham’s remarkable sister, Darline, be considered for the interim Senate position representing the great state of South Carolina.”

He added, “This move would serve as a wonderful tribute to Lindsey, who cherished her greatly!”

Darline Graham Nordone, the younger sister of the late senator, has not previously held a public office position.

Back in 2015, Lindsey Graham had high praise for his sister, saying, “If she ever took on a role, she would be an excellent representative of our nation. I can think of no one better to represent our country on any occasion than my sister.”

Tim Scott, South Carolina’s second senator, suggested that Nordone was open to the idea. ‘After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state, and our country,’ Scott posted on X.

Senate Republican Leader John Thune told CNN that it ‘makes a lot of sense’ to appoint Darline to her brother’s vacated seat, indicating that he is embracing the President’s suggestion. 

Within hours of Graham’s death, there was jockeying among Republicans to position themselves to fill the seat. 

South Carolina Governor McMaster spoke Monday afternoon about the late senator and the vacancy in Congress left by his death. 

At the ceremony, the Governor appointed Darline to her late brother’s seat. 

It is unclear whether Nordone’s appointment would be a ‘caretaker’ selection, meaning she would not seek the office after her current term ends in January, or if she would formally announce a run for his seat in a special primary election. 

Graham’s death kicks off a one-week registration period for a special primary election so that a new candidate can swiftly fill the vacancy, according to South Carolina law. 

Registration is slated to begin July 21, and the election would be held two Tuesdays later, on August 11. 

If there is a runoff for the special primary election, it would be held on August 25.

The winner of the special primary election would go on to face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews in the November race. 

Already there is speculation about which South Carolina politicians may hop into the special primary election. 

Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Fox News host and former Congressman Trey Gowdy, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Congressman Ralph Norman and more have been mentioned as possible candidates. 

‘Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in…,’ Mace, who is retiring from Congress at the end of her term, wrote on social media on Sunday morning after the news of Graham’s death broke. 

The post stirred belief that she will run for the open Senate seat.

It also provoked controversy in the GOP after Republicans accused Mace of callously floating a potential Senate bid just hours after Graham’s death was announced. 

A spokesman for her campaign told the Daily Mail that ‘Lindsey Graham was a mentor to Nancy Mace, and one of the funniest, quickest people she ever served alongside. Anyone who knew him knew he loved a good line, and told more of them than anybody in Washington.’

Speaking with CBS News on Monday, Evette declined to comment on whether she is interested in running for the Senate seat. 

‘Today is celebrating what a great life the senator has given to this nation,’ she said.

Meanwhile, Norman is expected to seek the vacated Senate seat, sources familiar with his thinking told FITSNews. 

A source told the outlet that Norman is ‘strongly considering’ a bid for the seat, though he didn’t want to say anything publicly right after Graham’s death. 

Lindsey and Nordone were incredibly close, and after the siblings’ parents died 15 months apart in the 1970s, the Senator, then 21, legally adopted his teenage sister and helped raise her. 

The senator never married or had children but noted that he did have a family, namely his younger sister. 

The siblings were raised in Central, South Carolina, near Clemson University. Their parents operated a bar and pool hall. The young Grahams lived in a room in the back of the establishment. 

‘He’s kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one,’ Nordone told the New York Times in 2015. 

The senator kept close tabs on his younger sister as the two grew up without their parents. 

The Republican’s law school friends told NPR that Graham would visit his sister on weekends and would inquire about whether she was keeping curfew and who she was spending time with. 

After joining the Air Force as a military lawyer, he adopted Nordone, ensuring that if anything happened to him, his benefits would flow to her.  

California authorities announced on Monday that a driver, suspected of being under the influence, astonishingly survived a terrifying incident where a pickup truck fell approximately 600 feet off a Northern California cliff last week.

This dramatic accident unfolded in Siskiyou County on State Route 263, a renowned scenic highway that winds through dramatic cliffs and treacherous landscapes, notorious for its perilous drop-offs.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the vehicle appeared to swerve off the road, plummeting down the steep mountainside before finally stopping at the base of the cliff.

“It’s truly remarkable that the driver emerged from what could have been a deadly accident alive,” the CHP remarked.

After authorities responded to the scene, the driver was found to be allegedly impaired, CHP said.

The individual was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Photos released by the agency show the pickup truck mangled and nearly unrecognizable after the violent plunge, with debris scattered across the rocky mountainside.

Authorities did not immediately release the driver’s identity or provide details about the extent of any injuries sustained in the wreck.

Following the incident, CHP urged drivers to never get behind the wheel while impaired, warning that the consequences can be devastating.

“This crash serves as a powerful reminder that impaired driving puts not only your life at risk, but also the lives of everyone else on the road,” CHP said. “Choosing to drive under the influence can have devastating consequences that are entirely preventable.”

This year’s MLB Home Run Derby is set to emphasize a more refined approach, placing the spotlight on the quality of swings rather than the quantity.

Shaking up the traditional format, participants will no longer face the pressure of a ticking clock. Instead, they are now allotted a finite number of swings—20 in the first round, followed by 15 swings each in the second and third rounds. This change is designed to enhance the experience for both players and spectators alike.

In this revamped format, every swing carries weight, underscoring the importance of precision. Batters must focus on making solid contact with the ball, as each swing counts comprehensively, regardless of whether it results in a home run.

The competitors vying for glory in this event are formidable, with Kyle Schwarber emerging as the current favorite at +340 odds. Close on his tail are Munetaka Murakami at +470 and Junior Caminero at +490. Jordan Walker, Jac Caglianone, Bryce Harper, Ben Rice, and Wilson Contreras also feature prominently, standing as viable contenders with odds ranging from +600 to 11/1.

2026 Home Run Derby odds

All-Star events like the Home Run Derby present golden opportunities for betting enthusiasts who have an eye for leveraging statistics. By scrutinizing metrics such as Exit Velocity, Hard Hit percentage, and Launch Angle, prospective bettors can craft well-founded strategies that align closely with the given odds, enhancing their likelihood of success.

If you focus on power numbers like Exit Velocity and Hard Hit percentage, Murakami stands out among the group. His average Exit Velocity is 94.4 mph, and his Hard Hit percentage is 59.7 percent.

If you select for contact numbers like Launch Angle and Sweet-Spot percentage, Schwarber has the edge with an average Launch Angle of 21.8 degrees and a Sweet-Spot percentage of 39.5 percent.

This new format should put a bit more emphasis on the latter two, but power is still important for getting out of the opening round, with home run distance as the tiebreaker.

The player who represents the most value on the board compared to their odds is Rice. He has the second-longest odds among the group, but has the second-best average rank across the four indicators behind Schwarber. The drawback with Rice is that his average home run distance (389 feet) and longest home run (433 feet) trail the rest of the field.

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Walker, who has the third-best average rank among this group, is the other player I’m targeting. He has the profile to be a strong competitor with a better average home run distance (406 feet) and the third-longest homer (459 feet).

I’ll split my bet across both guys and hope for some fireworks.

The Play: Ben Rice (+900, FanDuel) | Jordan Walker (+600)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.