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For a brief moment late last week, it looked like acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to get the word “acting” removed from his job title was in serious trouble. But that moment appears to have passed, as two key Republican senators just signalled that they will vote to move his nomination forward.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) halted Blanche’s nomination because of concerns about a $1.8 billion slush fund that Blanche helped create as the Justice Department’s acting leader, as well as some objections to a collusive deal between President Donald Trump and the IRS that could have shut down tax investigations into Trump, his family, and his businesses. Both senators announced on Monday that they will no longer block the nomination.

Though these two senators, both of whom are retiring in January, did extract some minor concessions from the Justice Department in return for their votes, they objected to only a small fraction of Blanche’s efforts to transform DOJ’s lawyers into Trump’s personal advocates and enforcers. The fact that Blanche is likely to be confirmed, despite his sycophancy towards Trump, suggests that any meaningful guardrails on a weaponized Justice Department have ceased to exist.

Cornyn and Tillis both currently serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee. That committee, where Republicans currently have a two-vote majority, was originally scheduled to vote on Blanche’s nomination Thursday — but that vote would have failed if Cornyn and Tillis rejected the nominee. And, now, it’s likely to go ahead.

Cornyn and Tillis’ objections to Blanche were quite narrow in scope. They demanded a written order from Blanche “terminating the anti-weaponization fund,” a reference to the $1.8 billion slush fund that could be paid out to Trump’s allies, including participants in the January 6 attack on the US capitol. Blanche originally established this fund in a May 18 order. On Sunday night, he tweeted out a new document terminating his May 18th order. 

Cornyn also objected to the breadth of settlement between Trump and the IRS — which could be read to permanently cut off that agency’s power to audit Trump, his companies, or many members of his family — but only sought to narrow this settlement’s scope.

For the most part, however, the two senators did not object to Blanche’s broader efforts to weaponize the Justice Department against people who’ve displeased Trump, including the use of law enforcement to cow Trump’s critics. As both DAG and as acting AG Blanche oversaw several highly dubious prosecutions brought against Trump’s perceived enemies and prominent Democrats.  

A video introduced in federal court, for example, indicated that Blanche personally instructed law enforcement officers to arrest Newark’s Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka — an arrest that led a federal magistrate judge to scold DOJ for “using the immense power of the government to pursue weak cases or to make examples without sufficient cause.” Under Blanche’s oversight, the DOJ’s also brought flimsy charges against individuals like FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated Trump for potential wrongdoing. (One minor exception: Tillis did previously pressure Blanche to drop an investigation into former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.)

So, while Cornyn and Tillis did successfully push Blanche to make some small concessions in order to secure their votes in the Judiciary Committee, neither senator appeared interested in a confrontation over Trump and Blanche’s broader efforts to transform the Department of Justice into a revenge-seeking agency. And now, it appears likely that Blanche will be confirmed — and that those efforts will continue. 

What did Blanche actually agree to do in order to get Cornyn and Tillis’s votes?

Earlier this year, Trump, the Trump Organization, and Trump’s two oldest sons sued the IRS, claiming that it failed to prevent a contractor from leaking some of Trump’s tax documents. The president originally demanded a $10 billion payout from the federal government, and the lawsuit triggered widespread concerns about a conflict of interest, because Trump was both the plaintiff and the chief executive of the government he sued.

On May 18, a little over a month after Blanche became the federal government’s top lawyer, Trump (and the other plaintiffs) entered into a “settlement agreement” that did not include a $10 billion payday for Trump but that did include several provisions favorable to Trump, his family, and his companies. 

Among other things, the settlement announced the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which would distribute money to an unknown group of people who claim they were unfairly targeted by previous administrations based on decisions by five individuals appointed by Blanche. It also included a provision claiming that the IRS (and potentially other federal agencies) is “FOREVER BARRED” from pursuing any claims that “have been or could have been asserted by Plaintiffs” — open-ended language which sparked fears that a wide range of potential investigations into Trump, his family, or his companies could be shut down forever.

In response to Cornyn and Tillis’s objections to this settlement, Blanche tweeted out a brief order on Monday, stating that his own May 18 order establishing the Anti-Weaponization Fund “is rescinded and shall have no force or effect.” According to Tillis, DOJ also “acknowledged in a binding written order that the audit settlement is limited to the plaintiffs and the scope does not extend beyond the defendants in the lawsuit.”

So, Blanche walked back the specific order that he signed to establish the $1.8 billion slush fund, but he did not repudiate the part of the settlement that immunizes Trump, his two oldest sons, and the Trump Organization from many tax investigations. According to Tillis, DOJ merely said that this part of the settlement does not apply to parties (including federal agencies) that were not parties to Trump’s original lawsuit.

Though this deal appeared to have been enough to secure Cornyn and Tillis’s votes, and most likely to ensure Blanche’s confirmation in a Republican Senate, it is unlikely to placate Democrats. As Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) tweeted Tuesday morning, Blanche’s new order “doesn’t prevent payouts to violent insurrectionists in the future,” and it “leaves in place a tax-immunity deal that could help Trump skip taxes on the $2.3 billion he made last year.”

And the question of whether the DOJ may bring politically motivated charges against figures like Baraka, former FBI Director James Comey, or New York Attorney General Letitia James appeared to not even be part of the deal struck between Blanche, Cornyn, and Tillis.

In fairness, one reason why the two senators exacted such meager concessions may be because they didn’t have a very strong hand to play against Trump. Because Blanche is currently the Senate-confirmed deputy attorney general, he can remain head of the Justice Department, in an acting role, for as long as Trump is president. Indeed, when negotiations between Blanche and the two senators appeared to hit an impasse late last week, Trump threatened to “keep Todd as Acting A.G., and push hard to get the Anti-Weaponization Bill” if Cornyn and Tillis wouldn’t support Blanche.

But that doesn’t change the fact that Blanche’s concessions are thin gruel. His statement on the slush fund merely confirms that “there is no Fund” right now. And, under the terms of the apparent deal reached with Cornyn and Tillis, Trump, his sons, and his primary business still gain broad immunity from a wide range of tax investigations. 

So, while Cornyn and Tillis may have given Trump and Blanche a brief scare, they never put up much real resistance to Trump’s nominee.

Source: Vox.

BBC Verify has matched videos posted online in the aftermath with images of the same streets before the fires to assess the damage in Washington state.

Source: BBC.

BBC Verify has matched videos posted online in the aftermath with images of the same streets before the fires to assess the damage in Washington state.

Source: BBC.

From The Hill

{beacon} Technology   The Big Story Republican AGs warn OpenAI could face legal action over breach More than a dozen Republican attorneys general are calling on OpenAI to preserve records on its models’ recent breach of another company, suggesting the AI firm may have violated state or federal laws in the incident. © Adobe Stock…

From The Hill

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has been sticking to his original story that vandals were responsible for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, despite a court filing from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro saying the department had evidence a “botched” installation was to blame. President Trump, who has repeatedly railed against the alleged vandalism and efforts to hinder…

In their efforts to exert influence over the U.S. banking system, President Donald Trump and his two oldest sons have baselessly accused various banks of shutting down their accounts for political reasons after Jan. 6.

Trump has promoted this unfounded allegation while casting himself as a victim, a claim MS NOW’s Stephanie Ruhle helped debunk earlier this year when she laid waste to Trump’s lawsuit against JPMorgan. And some Republican state attorneys general — such as Florida’s James Uthmeier, for example — have pursued separate investigations into similarly baseless allegations.

But Capital One essentially threw down the gauntlet on Friday in a legal filing alleging that the actual reason for the closed accounts was a concern about potential money laundering.

As Reuters reported:

Capital One Financial hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its decision to close the Trump Organization’s bank accounts years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money laundering experts.

The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money laundering concerns to U.S. President Donald Trump’s family business. Capital One is seeking to dismiss the case by casting doubt on claims of illegally debanking — or denying services on religious or political grounds — the Trump Organization.

Reuters said the Trump Organization and Capital One didn’t immediately respond to its requests for comment.

The report continued:

Capital One has never accused the Trump Organization of illegal money laundering. But Friday’s filing argues that “documents and Plaintiffs’ own allegations make clear that Capital One closed Plaintiffs’ accounts for anti-money laundering (“AML”) reasons. The closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One’s AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance.”

Capital One gave notice of its plans to close more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank accounts in March 2021. 

The claim brings to mind Trump’s past ties to Deutsche Bank, an institution with a history of anti-money laundering failures and one that — according to reports back in 2019 — maintained relationships with Trump-related entities after staffers flagged suspicious activity. (Such flags do not constitute proof of a crime.)

Trump and his family organization, of course, have a history of financial impropriety that could make a bank wary. Two years ago, Trump himself was convicted on felony counts of falsifying business records. (The case remains under appeal.)

Trump, his two oldest sons and Trump Organization entities also were found liable for committing civil fraud in New York, a ruling that they are trying to get overturned.

And back in 2018, a judge finalized a $25 million settlement Trump reached after former students said they had been misled or defrauded by his now-defunct Trump University. This followed his 2016 pronouncement that “I don’t settle cases very easily when I’m right.”

All this is to say: Trump isn’t someone who should be seen as a trustworthy financial partner. So his claims about political debanking ought to be taken with a grain of salt — especially in light of Capital One’s new filing.

The post Capital One says money laundering concerns led to closure of Trump Org accounts, not politics appeared first on MS NOW.

From MS Now.

After a months-long investigation, the ethics committee recommended censure for Edwards because of “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”

(Image credit: Graeme Sloan)

Source: NPR.

Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau clearly have no problem with PDA … because they were making out in the South of France in front of everyone on the beach … including photogs. Video shows the “Legendary Lovers” singer and the ex-prime minister of…

From TMZ.

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February.

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Joining New York in the lawsuit announced Monday are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency.

But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to send refunds to importers who’d paid the tariffs. Eager to make up the lost revenue, Trump turned to temporary 10% worldwide tariffs. But they expired at midnight July 24.

Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in unfair trade practices. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.

The administration invoked Section 301 to impose the forced-labor tariffs, which range from 10% to 12.5% and hit countries that provide 99% of American imports.

“The United States is using its lawful authority to obtain the elimination of unreasonable acts, policies, and practices that burden U.S. commerce,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “A foreign country’s failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor is unreasonable and burdens U.S. commerce, including American workers, and must be addressed. Section 301 tariffs have proven to be a legally durable tool since the President’s first term, and they remain so now.”

The states’ lawsuit follows two other lawsuits filed in The Court of International Trade in July by small businesses that also challenged the 301 tariffs.

Both of those lawsuits argue that the government didn’t adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied for, as required by Section 301.

The post 25 Democratic-led states sue Trump administration over latest round of tariffs appeared first on MS NOW.

From MS Now.

Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

This post was originally published on NBC News.

In 2023, Procter & Gamble acquired Mielle. Immediately after, the beauty community accused founder Monique Rodriguez of changing the formula of the viral Rosemary Mint Oil and even alleged hair loss as a result. But, contrary to popular belief, the formula for the entire 10-product collection has always remained the same. That was, until now.

“Just because people love something doesn’t mean you stop looking for ways to make it even better,” Rodriguez tells ESSENCE exclusively about the new Enriched Rosemary Mint collection. “I’ve always asked myself, ‘How do we find the best?’ That’s been my philosophy since day one.”

Rodriguez has been learning and developing textured hair formulas for over 10 years. Now, with P&G, the haircare brand has access to new ingredients, research, and expertise. While the collection isn’t undergoing a full reformulation, she says these resources are an opportunity to “make an already loved collection even better.” 

Since the original Rosemary Mint collection launched in 2018, it’s been all about hair strength and stimulating longer, healthier hair. However, according to its most recent study, almost half of Black women identify breakage as one of their top hair concerns, while more than 80 percent recognize that scalp health promotes stronger, healthier hair. 

“When I put myself in the shoes of our consumers, I think about everything they’re asking their hair to do,” she says. “Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, and we know women are looking for products that support both.”  So, the updated formula began there. With Black women prioritizing their roots now more than ever, “scalp care became such an important part of this evolution,” she says. 

Working with higher-quality ingredients independently certified by one of the world’s leading botanical research institutions, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, the new, enriched formula has one key update. Instead of rosemary oil, the collection is enhanced with pure rosemary extract which is richer in antioxidants to make your hair up to 12 times stronger than the original formula.

The extract is joining other pre-existing ingredients, which are now Kew-certified as well, like mint, biotin, castor oil, and vitamin B5, to further support stronger, healthier-looking hair. “We listened to our community, looked at the latest research, worked with experts, and took a really thoughtful look at every formula and every ingredient,” she says. 

Making their formula even better for textured hair, the Enriched Rosemary Mint collection is the first, but may not be the only product getting a little facelift. “What excites me most is that we’re just getting started,” Rodriguez says. “As science continues to evolve, so will we, and I’m excited to keep creating products that help women feel confident in every stage of their hair journey.”

The new Enriched Rosemary Mint Collection is available now at mielle.com and will be available mid September at major retailers including Target, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, and CVS.

From The Hill

David Venturella, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sent a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) saying he has divested of his Geo Group stocks and “fully recused himself from all contracts and obligations related to detention.” The letter to Warren, sent Thursday, did not share specifics about ICE’s contracting process. Venturella added that…