Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general in 50-49 vote
The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general early Aug. 8, ending his service as acting attorney general after a narrow and contentious confirmation fight.
United States
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Senate panel advances Todd Blanche’s nomination to lead Justice Department
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 along party lines to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, moving President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer toward consideration by the full Senate.
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SBA seeks applications for $9 million small-business supply-chain grant program
The Small Business Administration opened a competition offering 20 grants of up to $500,000 to help small businesses address supply-chain constraints and expand production.
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NHTSA Opens Investigation Into About 1.2 Million Tesla Vehicles
The federal safety agency is examining reports of unintended acceleration or related loss-of-control concerns involving Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the United States.
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D.C. Circuit says EPA improperly terminated billions in climate grants
A divided federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration likely violated federal law by terminating climate grants and seeking to recover money already distributed.
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DOJ Issues Updated Guidance Directing Federal Agencies to Strengthen Religious-Liberty Protections
The Justice Department’s updated guidance directs federal agencies to account for constitutional religious-liberty protections in programs, employment, contracting, rulemaking and enforcement.
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HHS Defers More Than $1 Billion in Medicaid Payments to California and Minnesota
The Department of Health and Human Services said the payments will remain deferred while it reviews claims classified as high risk in a Medicaid fraud crackdown.
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Library of Congress Adds 25 Recordings to National Recording Registry
The 2026 National Recording Registry class includes recordings associated with Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, The Go-Go’s and the original Broadway cast of Chicago.
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Fed holds rates steady as officials split over persistent inflation
The Federal Reserve kept its federal funds target at 3.50% to 3.75% after its July meeting, while three officials favored higher rates and inflation remained above the Fed’s 2% target.
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Netanyahu Says Israel Will Not Leave Gaza Until Hamas Is Disarmed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on August 4 that Israeli forces would not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas was completely disarmed, signaling a dispute over the terms and sequence of a U.S.-backed postwar arrangement.
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Federal student-loan changes take effect July 1
New federal student-loan repayment options, borrowing limits and an automatic-payment interest reduction began taking effect July 1, 2026.
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Berkshire Hathaway reports $13 billion in second-quarter operating profit as Greg Abel deploys cash
Berkshire Hathaway posted stronger second-quarter operating results and invested about $10 billion in Alphabet as CEO Greg Abel began deploying cash.
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DOE Opens 60-Day Review of National Transmission Needs as Grid Demand Accelerates
The Energy Department released a draft national transmission study and opened a 60-day public-comment period as U.S. electricity generation rises and grid demand grows.
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GAO finds security gaps and contractor problems at ICE’s Camp East Montana detention facility
A Government Accountability Office report found camera blind spots, missing perimeter cameras and understaffing when ICE’s Camp East Montana facility opened in 2025. ICE terminated the contract in April 2026 and chose a new contractor.
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Education Department Removes Disparate-Impact Liability From Title VI Regulations
A final regulatory change announced July 23 limits federal civil-rights liability in education cases based solely on demographic disparities, unless discriminatory intent or a facially discriminatory policy is shown.
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AP-NORC poll finds sharp age divide among U.S. Jewish adults over Israel and Gaza
A national AP-NORC survey finds younger Jewish adults are less likely than older adults to view support for Israel as central to Jewish identity and more likely to say Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
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Federal Reserve: Credit-Card Borrowing Picked Up as Consumer Loan Costs Stayed High
Consumer-credit flows accelerated after a slower start to 2026, with the strongest increase in credit-card balances as auto-loan rates remained above 2019 levels.
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Supreme Court strikes down federal limits on coordinated party expenditures
The Supreme Court ruled June 30 that limits on coordinated expenditures by political parties violate the First Amendment, changing a major part of federal campaign-finance law ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
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DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force Says Recoveries and Charged Losses Topped $1 Billion
The Justice Department said its Trade Fraud Task Force surpassed $1 billion in combined recoveries, penalties, forfeitures and publicly charged losses less than a year after its launch.
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Federal judge narrows fifth-year NCAA eligibility order for Class of 2022 athletes
A Colorado federal judge clarified that an injunction applies only to Division I athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and exhausted their fourth season in spring 2026.
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NSF Commits $380 Million to Nationwide Network of AI-Enabled Automated Laboratories
The National Science Foundation says 20 teams will build a nationwide network designed to test and scale AI-driven automated science.
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FBI Warns Scammers Are Impersonating IC3 to Revictimize Cybercrime Victims
The FBI says scammers are posing as bureau personnel and IC3 representatives while targeting people who have already filed online-crime complaints.