News without an agenda. AP is a not-for-profit organization with no corporate parent, no shareholders and no government influence. Our mission is journalism, not profit margins. Your donation supports independent reporting that serves the public interest, not corporate shareholders. Donate today.
|
|
|
Welcome back. We hope you had a good weekend. In the news today: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche rescinds a $1.8 billion fund for Trump’s allies; wildfires near Spokane force the evacuation of 60,000 people; and Trump’s pattern of threats and walk-backs on Iran. Also, the ethnic community that celebrates a centuries-old culture by transforming a village into a kingdom for a day.
|
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 15. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
|
Blanche rescinds Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization fund’ for president’s allies
|
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued the formal order late Sunday, in a move that follows weeks of negotiations with two Republican senators who were blocking his nomination to become attorney general. Read more.
|
|
|
|
- A spokeswoman for Texas Sen. John Cornyn, one of the senators holding up Blanche’s nomination, confirmed the deal, which comes ahead of a Tuesday confirmation vote for Blanche’s nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Blanche said at a June hearing that the Justice Department would not move forward with the fund, as he faced bipartisan outrage over the possibility that rioters who attacked police on Jan. 6 could be considered for payments. But Cornyn and Tillis, both members of the Judiciary panel, have said they wanted to see the promise in writing before they endorsed Blanche's nomination — especially as Trump continued to express support for the idea.
|
|
|
Fires in Washington state have burned 600 structures and forced 60,000 evacuations
|
The fires in and around Spokane, the state’s second-largest city, burned about 8.2 square miles over the weekend. Read more.
|
|
|
These blazes were among dozens of wildfires across the Western U.S. that stretched the ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. Meanwhile, crews were fighting a fire that has burned nearly 525 square miles in western Idaho and eastern Oregon.
|
|
|
Trump once again threatens massive escalation against Tehran only to walk back
|
On Friday, President Donald Trump warned of a strong military response against Iran. But by late Saturday night, he declared on social media that there were signs of progress on negotiations and that he was calling off massive strikes for the time being. Read more.
|
|
|
Trump may still come to the conclusion that a massive escalation in the conflict with Iran is necessary. But critics say his hesitation also might reflect an unspoken understanding inside the administration that U.S. military might alone may not be enough to compel Iran to back down and bring an end to a now monthslong war that Trump had earlier downplayed as a weekslong excursion.
While Trump has reveled in the U.S. military decimating layers of Tehran’s leadership and devastating its air force and navy, Iran is betting it can outlast Trump as he faces diminished stockpiles of munitions and the difficulty of executing a war that is unpopular with the American electorate ahead of November’s midterm election.
|
|
|
Women wearing traditional Seto costumes dance during the annual Seto Kingdom Day in Mikitamäe, south Estonia, Saturday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
|
|
|
|
Let me know here which stories you'd like to see more of in Morning Wire. You can invite a friend to subscribe here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Nadja
|
|
|
|
|
Let me know here which stories you'd like to see more of in Morning Wire. You can invite a friend to subscribe here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Nadja
|
|
|
|
|
*Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in advertising, contact us here.
|
|
|
|
|
