Washington, DC

1. Blockade is back
2. Graham’s sister gets the nod
3. Trump previews Grand Prix
4. Maine delegate campaign begins
5. Africa envoy debut

Brent crude futures ▲ 7% today on fears of a prolonged US-Iran war.

Trump announces new Hormuz blockade

President Donald Trump announced he will reimpose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz beginning tomorrow, and suggested the US would charge commercial shippers a 20% fee on the value of their cargo to travel safely through it. “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’” the president wrote on Truth Social. US officials have said repeatedly that any attempt by Iran to charge tolls for use of the strait would be a nonstarter. Iran’s foreign minister replied, saying he agreed that the country that administers the strait should charge a fee for the service, but he asserted that should be Iran — not the US. He ended with a jab: “20% is of course too much. We will be fair.”

Graham’s sister appointed interim senator

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced today that Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, will serve as the state’s interim senator, following a push from Trump and other Republican leaders. Under South Carolina state law, the governor can appoint a temporary replacement to complete Graham’s Senate term. Earlier in the day, in a Truth Social post, Trump had urged McMaster to select Graham’s “wonderful sister.” Several prominent Republican senators quickly backed the choice, noting the siblings’ close relationship. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Nordone’s selection “makes a lot of sense” and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., called her a “fantastic pick.” Because Graham won the Republican Senate primary last month, an August special election will be held to determine who will take his place on the ballot in November’s midterm election.

Trump previews Freedom 250 Grand Prix

Trump has a lot on his plate, but he made time today for one of his favorite arenas: sports. The president held a showcase for the “Freedom 250 Grand Prix,” previewing the August 22-23 race, which will become the first sanctioned auto race on the National Mall. The 1.7-mile street circuit will loop around some of DC’s most famous monuments, including the National Archives, National Gallery of Art, and National Air and Space Museum. Trump was joined by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, auto racing executive Roger Penske, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, President of General Motors Mark Reuss, and IndyCar series drivers David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, and Álex Palou. The event is part of Trump’s broader slate of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary, with Duffy promising, “We hope everyone comes. It’s going to be epic.”

Delegate race begins in Maine

Democratic Party chairs of Maine’s 16 counties have two days left to each finalize the time and place for their county’s “nominating meeting” — the venue (in person or virtual) where Democratic voters will pick the delegates who will select Graham Platner’s replacement at a party convention on July 25. Party officials will allocate 500 delegates to counties based on turnout from the 2024 Democratic primary, though the exact numbers aren’t public yet. Another 100 delegates are elected party chairs. Some counties will likely send as few as four delegates to the statewide convention, but for the largest county, Cumberland, locals estimate voters will need to pick 180 delegates. Some possible Senate candidates are urging their supporters to run for delegate seats, and all candidates are expected to lobby the final picks for their vote.

Trump Africa envoy makes debut trip

Frank Garcia, the recently confirmed US assistant secretary of state for African affairs, began his first official trip to the continent this weekend, reports Semafor’s Yinka Adegoke. Garcia, a former Republican Capitol Hill staffer and Navy officer with limited Africa diplomatic experience, will link Trump’s “America First” agenda to commercial diplomacy, strategic competition, and security cooperation with Africa, especially in the wake of significant cuts to foreign assistance. Nigerian media reported that Garcia was expected to address the Trump administration’s proposed migration agreement in a meeting with President Bola Tinubu. The proposal could accelerate deportations and could tie Abuja’s cooperation to US visa restrictions. US-Africa policy watchers say Garcia’s more traditional State Department role runs alongside that of Massad Boulos, the White House-based senior presidential adviser for Africa, who also serves as the State Department’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs.

Semafor Gulf is now expanding to five days of coverage per week, reflecting the growing need for deeper reporting on the region. More than ever, developments in the Gulf are reverberating around the world, affecting events, energy markets, and entire economies. We are growing our network of reporters and editors across the region and the world and, starting this week, are expanding our coverage of the Gulf into a daily briefing. Subscribers will get even more of the sophisticated, scoopy journalism they’ve come to expect, every weekday.

White House

• President Trump formally notified Congress on July 10 that military action against Iran had resumed. The president will address the nation on Thursday night amid the escalation.
• A water cleanup company that received a no-bid federal contract to remove algae from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has a recent history of troubled projects. — WaPo

National Security

• The Pentagon and Justice Department have launched a joint task force to identify and prosecute people who leak sensitive government information. — WaPo

Economy

• The Treasury Department said that refunds from President Trump’s tariffs pushed the June federal budget deficit to $120 billion, reversing last year’s June surplus.
• Businesses are bracing for inflation to remain elevated as tariffs, rising energy costs, and AI demand continue to push up prices. — WaPo
• Hundreds of economists signed a letter warning of AI’s job displacement potential.

Courts

• A judge criticized attorneys who brought President Trump’s IRS lawsuit and referred one of them for disciplinary action.
• A dozen states filed suit to block Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Immigration

• Federal regulators released guidance encouraging banks to consider loans to undocumented immigrants as more risky after Trump signed a related executive order, first reported by Semafor, earlier this year, Semafor’s Eleanor Mueller reports.
• An immigration agent fatally shot a Colombian man in Maine.

Technology

• The White House plans to have utilities and data center companies voluntarily pledge that AI-driven power infrastructure expansion won’t raise electricity costs for households and businesses. — Reuters
• Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets showcases the intensifying battle over AI. — WSJ

Media

• Spanish media entrepreneur Javier Negre built a multinational media business by combining political propaganda and paid access to influential right-wing circles linked to President Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei. — El Pais

Health

• Cases of the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis have risen to 3,000 across two states.

— Sen. Majority Leader John Thune’s tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Laura McGann, editor

With help from Elana Schor, senior Washington editor, and Morgan Chalfant, Washington briefing editor

Graph Massara and Lauren Morganbesser, copy editors

Contact our reporters:

Burgess Everett, Eleanor Mueller, Shelby Talcott, Nicholas Wu, David Weigel