Wednesday morning news: July 29, 2026

Editor's note: The following text is a transcript of a podcast story. To listen to the story, click on the arrow beneath the headline above.

SOUND: [Choir singing]

Graham funeral » Leaders from around the world gathered inside the Washington National Cathedral Tuesday to remember the late U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.

President Trump said the son of South Carolina was an optimist with a fighting spirit who became one of the most important men in Washington.

TRUMP:  He took his duty seriously without taking himself too seriously. He was unwavering in his principles but always willing to listen. He always wanted to listen.

And a short time earlier at the Capitol:

SOUND: [Military band]

U.S. servicemembers carried Graham’s flag-draped casket to the center of the rotunda surrounded by Senate and cabinet leaders.

Vice President JD Vance, a former Senate colleague of Graham’s, remembered him as a happy warrior “who could disagree with you without being disagreeable.”

VANCE: I choose to remember Lindsey Graham as a person who could fight with you on one issue, but fight for you on another issue

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Graham never apologized for being pro-life or for standing by his values.

THUNE: It didn't matter to Lindsey whether an issue was popular or unpopular, whether he had the full support of his colleagues, or whether he was standing alone

Thune called Graham a dear friend and recalled traveling the world alongside him.

THUNE: Rest in peace, my friend … I look forward to the days … when you make us all laugh again  

A public service will be held this morning in South Carolina at the State House in Columbia.

Zelenskyy at White House » Ukrainian President Volydymyr Zelenskyy, after attending Graham’s funeral, met at the White House with President Trump. The two leaders talked about Ukraine making its own weapons amid Russia’s ongoing invasion. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports:

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Trump agreed at a NATO summit this month to allow Ukraine to build its own Patriot missile interceptors. Kyiv has been pressing for more of those for many months.

In the Oval Office they worked through the details. Zelenskyy called it a good meeting and added that the diplomatic push needs new life.

The interceptors matter beyond Ukraine. The war with Iran has reportedly strained American stockpiles, and analysts say more Patriot production would take pressure off U.S. supply.

Zelenskyy also met with Lockheed Martin, which builds the interceptors, about trading technology in both directions. He says his country has a lot to share with the nations helping Ukraine.

For WORLD, I'm Kristen Flavin.

Netanyahu at White House » Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met with President Trump at the White House Tuesday before attending Lindsey Graham’s funeral.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since the start of the Iran war.

Ahead of that meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon said Israel remains grateful for its “deep partnership with the U.S.”

DANON: We fought shoulder to shoulder against Iran, and we are prepared to continue supporting the US in pursuing peace and stability in the region

Afterward, Netanyahu called the meeting excellent, one of his best conversations with the president.

Trump wants a deal with Tehran, while Netanyahu thinks it best to continue the fight and bring the current regime to its knees.

Israel's defense minister says his country wants to strike Iran's oil and power plants. Washington has said no, largely over concerns about oil prices.

Iran latest » Mediators in recent days have cited progress toward getting U.S.-Iran peace talks back on track. And President Trump said Tuesday morning:

TRUMP: This is actually a good time to make a deal for them. If they don't make a deal, then I go back and I finish the job

It's unclear where the president's threshold lies before dialing up the airstrikes once again.

A senior U.S. official says Iran fired ballistic missiles at an American base in Jordan Tuesday. CENTCOM says all of the missiles were intercepted calling it an attempted surprise attack.

It's the first missile attack on American troops since Trump paused strikes on Iran.

Trump has been specific about what finishing the job could look like.

TRUMP: The bridges are gonna be gone literally in less than a … I would say in two hours, most of the bridges, the major bridges will all be gone, and the power plants in one day. And, you know, if I can avoid doing that, I'd like to do that

Saudi Arabia says Iran-backed militias in Iraq launched drones at Saudi oil facilities for a second straight day. Air defenses shot them down.

Senate SAVE Act push » The clock is ticking for Senators to wrap up business before a five week August recess, but President Trump and some Senators say they need more time.

WORLD’s Harrison Watters reports from the nation’s capital.

HARRISON WATTERS: Senators are scheduled to head home in two weeks. But some Republicans, including President Trump, are calling on Majority Leader John Thune to cancel recess so they can pass stronger voter verification rules in the SAVE America Act. Senator Marsha Blackburn told Newsmax:

BLACKBURN: We will stay here weekends and until we can get this passed.

WATTERS: In June, the SAVE America Act came close to becoming law as an amendment in a bill to fund immigration agencies. But all Democrats and four Republicans voted against it. Texas Senator John Cornyn told reporters on Tuesday the math hasn't changed.

CORNYN: ...we don’t have the votes to pass it, no longer how long we stay, and we’re not going to change the filibuster.”

WATTERS: Majority Leader Thune is more concerned about passing a short-term funding bill to keep the government open until after the Midterms.

The Senate is stalled working on a third budget reconciliation bill.

Before leaving town last week, the House passed short-term funding through December. But spending authority runs out two months from now, unless Congress extends the deadline.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Harrison Watters in Washington.

Teen gets life without parole for killing four at Georgia school » A Georgia judge handed down his sentence Tuesday to a teenager who killed four people in a shooting at Apalachee High School.

Barrow County Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm told the 16-year-old defendant Colt Gray:

PRIMM:  Planning, fantasizing about, visualizing and executing a school shooting puts you in an unredeemable moral wasteland. Your crimes do reflect permanent incorrigibility, and I will sentence you to life without parole for each of the malice murders that you committed.

Gray had pleaded guilty to charges including murder in the 2024 shooting.

Investigators testified that Gray idolized other mass shooters and studied their methods before the attack.

I'm Kent Covington.

Coming up, how did Dr. Anthony Fauci private thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic differ from what he said publicly? Plus World Tour.

This is The World and Everything in It.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.