Senator John Cornyn refuses to vote for Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney general, until the Justice Department documents what it already claims is true.
Blanche settled Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS with a $1.8 billion fund for his allies and a shield protecting his family’s past tax returns from audit, forever. Blanche testified the fund is dead. When Cornyn and Thom Tillis, both Republicans, asked for that in writing, the department spent hours negotiating. Trump now says he’ll keep Blanche in the job unconfirmed and wait until both senators leave office in January.
Nobody negotiates for hours over signing a true statement.
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Musk's X.AI sues to overturn Minnesota's ban on AI nudification apps as free speech, a law the legislature passed with one dissenting vote.
Today’s GovBrief News
State Department shows an AI-generated Africa map mislabeling all six countries it highlighted at a global AIDS conference before African partners.
Source: NBC News
July 30, 2026
Trump announces a historic Hamas disarmament deal that Hamas calls a draft and Israel had rejected hours earlier.
Source: USA Today
July 30, 2026
Senate rejects a bid to limit Trump's war powers 49-50 as the Iran war spreads to Egypt for the first time.
Source: CBS News
July 30, 2026
Kennedy launches an HHS cooking show promoting his sauerkraut-heavy diet as food prices rise and his agency sheds staff.
Source: The Independent
July 30, 2026
Senate panel advances a CDC director nominee after nearly a year without one and a preparedness pick who repeated vaccine falsehoods.
Source: Roll Call
July 30, 2026
Scouting America cuts jamboree spaces for gay youth, girls and scouts of color after Hegseth threatens its century-old Pentagon partnership.
Source: The Associated Press
July 30, 2026
Commerce Dept. quietly takes equity stakes in 7 more chip companies as a condition of $874 million in CHIPS Act funding.
Source: The Hill
July 30, 2026
Economy slows to 1.5% growth as inflation holds at 3.7% and Americans' savings rate hits a four-year low.
Source: CNBC
July 30, 2026
Trump floats withdrawing Blanche's attorney general nomination until two GOP holdout senators leave office, keeping him in the job as acting.
Source: UPI
July 30, 2026
Georgia father who gave his son the AR-15 used in the Apalachee school shooting gets 15 years on 27 counts.
Source: WAGA Atlanta
July 30, 2026
New Mexico's attorney general sues the state's own child welfare agency for telling a teen in its custody to walk alone into Mexico.
Source: KOAT Albuquerque
July 30, 2026
24,000 unaccompanied immigrant children lose their lawyers Friday as the government lets the legal-aid contract lapse while owing $65 million.
Source: The Los Angeles Times
July 30, 2026
DACA mother of 3 sues after DHS deports her despite valid status, then moves to revoke it for unauthorized travel.
Source: The Texas Tribune
July 30, 2026
State Department expands Trump-portrait passports nationwide, adding 250,000 books requiring in-person application at special events.
Source: CNN
July 30, 2026
Kennedy Center halts free public tours after 55 years, days after a volunteer guide criticized Trump's overhaul in the New York Times.
Source: The New York Times [gift link]
July 30, 2026
OPM chief Kupor sold up to $3.5 million in Robinhood stock after publicly touting the company's federal partnership he oversees.
Source: NOTUS
July 30, 2026
Louisiana ends quarterly office visits for WIC families as new cards load food benefits remotely starting Aug. 1.
Source: The Louisiana Illuminator
July 30, 2026
Ninth Circuit becomes the fifth appeals court to strike Trump's no-bail detention of immigrants arrested away from the border.
Source: Courthouse News Service
July 30, 2026