Sunday, August 9th

The Senate confirmed acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general early Saturday, approving President Donald Trump’s nominee 50-49. Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined every Democrat in voting no, Mitch McConnell missed the vote, and Bill Cassidy provided the pivotal Republican support after earlier concerns. Blanche, 52, previously served as Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer and had been running the Justice Department on an acting basis after Trump replaced Pam Bondi. His confirmation ends weeks of uncertainty over whether Republicans would install him permanently atop the DOJ.

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was ejected in the first quarter of Saturday’s 90-86 loss to the Indiana Fever after officials assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for hitting Sophie Cunningham in the head and neck on a fast-break layup. Minutes later, a post on Carrington’s Threads account read “WHITE PRIVILEGE” and tagged the Fever. Cunningham said after the game the foul was unnecessary and that she had no prior issue with Carrington. Fever guard Caitlin Clark also received her eighth technical foul, triggering a one-game suspension against New York.

The Senate adjourned at 4:57 a.m. ET Saturday for its August recess without advancing President Donald Trump’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, despite his demand that senators stay in session to pass it. The bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and direct states to identify noncitizens on voter rolls. Republican Sens. Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Rick Scott dropped a planned budget-resolution push for a third reconciliation package after concluding it lacked the votes. Senators instead confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general and passed an interim spending bill aimed at avoiding an October shutdown.