US politics news, and it's a story about how tightly the Senate is controlled by party loyalty and donor influence.

• Senator Lindsey Graham died over the weekend, leaving a hole in a Senate where Republicans hold a thin 52-47 edge.
• His death complicates the quick confirmation of Trump's attorney general pick Todd Blanche, since Graham sat on the Judiciary Committee and Mitch McConnell is out sick.
• Trump recommended Graham's sister, Darlene Graham Nordone, to fill the seat temporarily; she has little known political experience but is expected to vote as told.
• The permanent replacement will be decided in an August 11th special primary, and whoever Trump endorses is the heavy favorite in deep-red South Carolina.
• Names floated include Russell Fry and Trey Gowdy as loyalists; Nancy Mace is seen as a long shot, disliked by party insiders partly for voting to release the Epstein files.

Outlook: Trump is expected to endorse a candidate fast given the tight timeline, and that pick will likely cruise to the seat.