South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) this afternoon appointed late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill Graham's seat on an interim basis after his unexpected death.

• That was President Trump's preferred outcome, Axios' Marc Caputo and Andrew Solender report.

Trump has a close friendship and working relationship with McMaster.

• One senior adviser to Trump said: "McMaster listens to Trump, and Trump listens to McMaster."

🏛️ Graham's unexpected death made the GOP's Senate margin even slimmer, increasing the pressure to fill the seat ASAP.

• Picking a "placeholder" like Graham's sister gives the governor and president time to decide who to support during the primary.

South Carolina Rep. Russell Fry (R) is a favorite candidate of some Trump insiders, who say he has good fundraising potential and a safe Republican seat.

• Fry's colleague, Rep. Joe Wilson (R), has also surfaced as a possibility.

👩‍💼 The intrigue: Rep. Nancy Mace (R), who came in fifth in the GOP gubernatorial primary, has drawn an exceedingly negative reaction from Trump's political operation by appearing to float her own name to replace Graham the morning his death was announced.

• One top official with Trump's political operation tells Axios: "If Mace ends up in a runoff, we'll drop $2 million on her head to keep her out."

What they're saying: Mace tells Axios that she's being unfairly singled out, noting that Graham's former primary opponent Mark Lynch and Republican Rep. Ralph Norman also had floated their names.

📆 What's next: South Carolina will hold a GOP primary on Aug. 11 to pick a new Republican nominee for the Senate.

• The winner of the Nov. 3 election will take over Graham's old seat in January.

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The U.S. IPO market will set a new record by the end of the week, Axios' Lucinda Shen reports.

📈 By the numbers: This year's public offering proceeds sit at $141.2 billion after SK Hynix's recent $26.5 billion listing.

• That's a stone's throw from 2021's record $142.4 billion.

🤑 What's next: Brookfield-backed data center operator Csquare expects to raise up to $1.35 billion when it goes public on July 15, which would put this year over the top.

• Standard Nuclear is also expected to price that day, raising up to $384.3 million.

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1. 🕯️ Sam Neill, the iconic 78-year-old actor beloved for his roles in "Jurassic Park," "The Piano" and "The Hunt for Red October," died suddenly in Sydney today. His family said in a statement: "Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life." N.Y. Times obit.
2. ⛔️ President Trump said today that the U.S. is reinstating the naval blockade on Iran and will prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports. He also claimed that the U.S. would be "reimbursed" at a rate of 20% for securing safe passage for cargo ships. More from Barak Ravid.
3. 🎥 State attorneys general from a dozen states filed a lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. More from Sara Fischer.
4. 📁 Minnesota prosecutors say they've obtained key evidence in their investigations into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, including Good's car and hard drives with body-cam recordings. Get the latest.

Olive Garden is resurrecting its popular Never Ending Pasta Pass for the first time since 2019, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.

• The offering helped pioneer the restaurant industry's subscription trend.

💵 Olive Garden will sell 10,000 Never Ending Pasta Passes for $100 each (plus tax) starting Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.

• Each pass includes 13 weeks of Never Ending Pasta Bowl meals, with unlimited pasta, homemade sauces and protein toppings, plus unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks.

Dig in.