NYTIMES (David Marchese) - Billy Strings Escaped the Darkness. He’s Playing to Not Go Back.
The genre-straddling musician could have been lost to addiction and trauma. Instead he’s filling arenas.
NYTIMES (Emily Davies) - Amid Abuse Claims Against Max Miller, This Democrat Thinks He Can Win His Seat
Brian Poindexter, an ironworker, is in the spotlight in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, where Mr. Miller faces multiple calls to step aside.
NYTIMES (Linda Qiu) - Fact-Checking 3 Competitive Senate Races in Maine, Michigan and Ohio
Republican attacks have focused on terrorism and illegal immigration, while Democrats have sought to capitalize on the unpopularity of President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid.
NYTIMES (Tim Balk) - After a Poisonous Primary, Michigan Democrats Promise to Get Along
The party is racing to get behind Dr. Abdul El-Sayed after a Senate primary that was “spirited,” as Pete Buttigieg diplomatically put it at a unity rally on Friday night, but tensions remain.
NEWSNATIONNOW (Rebecca Beitsch and The Hill) - Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general after bruising fight
The Senate early Saturday morning confirmed Todd Blanche as the next attorney general, with the nominee narrowly securing sufficient GOP backing after making a number of promises about how he would handle his tenure as the country’s top law enforcement officer. The vote was 50-49. Though confirmed along a party-line vote when he was nominated [...]
AXIOS (Avery Lotz) - Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general
The Senate voted to confirm Todd Blanche as the next attorney general early Saturday, capping a tumultuous path to office for President Trump's former personal attorney. The big picture: Blanche's appointment is a win for the Trump administration, especially after a journey that saw some Republicans hold out at multiple stages of the process. - At one point Trump threatened to keep him as acting attorney general for months, after two GOP senators withheld their votes to advance him from the Senate Judiciary Committee. - Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) both eventually supported Blanche's advancement after Blanche confirmed that a controversial $1.776 billion fund to pay out perceived victims of political…
AXIOS (Russell Contreras) - Synagogues build a new security playbook as antisemitic attacks intensify
Synagogues across the U.S. are having congregants train to be volunteer security teams as antisemitic assaults hit record levels and Jewish gathering places face increasing threats. Driving the news: The front doorways of many synagogues are becoming both a place of welcome and a security checkpoint — a sign of how antisemitism is reshaping Jewish life in America. - The traditional practice of hiring a guard for High Holy Days services, installing cameras and calling police if something happens, is giving way to more complex, layered security systems. - "It doesn't mean that we're ninjas ... [or] law enforcement officers, but everybody can have a role to play," said Rusty Rosenthal, a retired FBI agent who leads JShield, the Jewish…
JUSTTHENEWS (Nicholas Ballasy) - Senate passes bill to avert government shutdown before leaving for August recess
The Senate has adjourned and will return in September.
JUSTTHENEWS (Nicholas Ballasy) - Senate confirms Blanche as attorney general
The final vote was 50-49, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joining the Democrats in opposition.
WASHINGTONPOST (Liz Goodwin, Alexei Koseff) - Democratic voters who used to back Susan Collins aren’t so sure anymore
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has counted on split-ticket voters to help her win office in a blue state. Some of those supporters are more reluctant to vote for her again.