Today in News History

On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1787, The Congress of the Confederation enacts the Northwest Ordinance establishing governing rules for the Northwest Territory. It also establishes procedures for the admission of new states and limits the expansion of slavery. In 1926, T. Loren Christianson, American politician (died 2019) was born. In 1951, Rob Bishop, American educator and politician was born. In 1973, Watergate scandal: Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of a secret Oval Office taping system to investigators for the Senate Watergate Committee. In 1977, Chris Horn, American football player was born. In 2000, Jan Karski, Polish-American activist and academic (born 1914) passed away. In 2011, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1999 is adopted, which admits South Sudan to member status of United Nations. In 2013, Vernon B. Romney, American lawyer and politician, 14th Attorney General of Utah (born 1924) passed away. In 2020, Zindzi Mandela, South African politician, diplomat, and third daughter of Nelson Mandela (born 1960) passed away. In 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks, American student, known for attempting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump (born 2003) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.

North Carolina Senate Nominee Stands By January 6 Pardons Despite Sex Crimes

The National Memo

July 13, 2026

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North Carolina Senate Nominee Stands By January 6 Pardons Despite Sex Crimes

Republican Michael Whatley continued to defend President Donald Trump’s pardons of January 6 insurrectionists, even after it was discovered that some of those individuals had been charged with sex crimes.Trump issued a blanket pardon to everyone who participated in the 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, despite initially promising to pardon only nonviolent offenders. NPR later reported that dozens of those rioters had prior convictions or pending charges, including for rape and the sexual abuse of minors.Whatley, who is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina, was asked during a February meet-and-greet whether he still supported Trump’s pardons. Whatley said, “Yeah,” and described the prosecutions as “malicious.”NPR identified one of the pardoned rioters as David Daniel of Mint Hill, N.C., who was previously charged with producing sexually explicit material featuring a minor under the age of 12. Daniel argued that Trump’s pardon applied to this offense as well. A judge disagreed and he ultimately pleaded guilty to the offense.Others were charged with sex crimes after the pardons were issued. Andrew Paul Johnson of Florida received a life sentence in March for molesting a child under 12 and another under 16. He told one of his victims that he expected a settlement from the federal government related to the pardon and offered to share it with the victim if they stayed quiet.Johnson may have gotten this idea from Trump himself, who tried to create a slush fund to pay victims of so-called “government weaponization,” which would presumably include the pardoned rioters. Whatley said he supported the fund, which is currently being blocked by a federal judge.Whatley’s tolerance of this behavior risks drawing attention to another scandal. From 2019 to 2024, he served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. During that time, he appointed Harvey West to two party committees, according to a March report by the Asheville Watchdog, despite West having pleaded guilty in 2000 to taking indecent liberties with a minor.Trump has endorsed Whatley’s campaign. Whatley will face former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in the general election.

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This article was published by The National Memo, a source frequently categorized with a left bias based in United States of America. Our narrative intelligence engine continuously monitors coverage from this outlet to track framing, bias, and rhetorical patterns. Our initial algorithmic scan of this specific piece did not flag high-confidence rhetorical techniques, suggesting a generally straightforward reporting style or neutral framing. By understanding the editorial perspective of The National Memo, readers can better contextualize the information presented and compare it across our broader media matrix to find the real narrative.

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