Sunday August 9
Todd Blanche confirmed as Attorney General
On Saturday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general. The vote was passed in the Republican-led Senate, 50-49, confirming Blanche’s role in the Justice Department. Blanche was opposed by two Republican senators and all Democratic senators. Blanche is President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, who has led the Justice Department in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi’s departure in April, according to the Associated Press.
The confirmation was a long process in which Republicans worried that Blanche’s close ties to Trump would interfere with the responsibilities of the head of the Justice Department. Blanche promised in writing the Justice Department would abandon Trump’s $1.8 billion compensation fund aimed at assisting Trump allies, according to the AP.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-LA, served as the deciding vote after Blanche’s promise swayed him, claiming Blanche is the best option for the position to push Republican ideals. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., argued against the confirmation, stating now is the moment when the U.S. most “needs an attorney general above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption.”
Monday August 10
Wildfires continue across western US and Canada as residents evacuate
Wildfires in the Western US and Canada have left some residents waiting for evacuation orders, while others are actively evacuating. Over 20,000 people are leaving their homes in Canada in areas such as British Columbia, which declared a state of emergency on Saturday, according to the AP.
Three wildfires in Spokane, Washington, were reportedly not growing on Sunday after being contained by fire crews. The rural town of Malden, south of Spokane, was urged to evacuate Saturday immediately, but by Sunday, the order was downgraded to be ready to leave quickly if necessary. Malden dealt with harmful wildfires in 2020, losing its fire station, post office, city hall and library, according to the AP.
On Friday morning, two people were killed in a helicopter crash in Utah as they responded to wildfires. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash, according to the AP.
Tuesday August 11
Trump signs executive order to space out childhood vaccines, against medical advice
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order recommending the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine be separated into three single vaccines given at separate doctor visits. Trump’s belief that the three vaccines should be separated has been discredited by the medical community, according to the AP.
Public health experts worry that by spreading the vaccines across multiple doctor visits, children risk getting infected with a disease in the time between visits. Childhood vaccines have been extensively studied and safety tracking continues while the vaccines are being administered, according to the AP.
Trump expressed his belief that separating the vaccines will help hinder the rising rates of autism spectrum disorder, while the medical community has found no link between vaccines and autism, the AP reports.
Wednesday August 12
Secret Service advised Trump not to fly on Air Force One on trip to Turkey
On Tuesday, Trump downplayed his use of a decoy plane on his trip to Turkey last month, claiming the threat did not scare him. Trump snuck onto an airport catering container, which transported him from Air Force One to an alternate plane that he took to Turkey, according to AP.
Trump did not acknowledge the risk faced by others left on Air Force One, such as White House officials, support staff and reporters. The threat by Iran and Trump’s decoy plane was kept secret for weeks until the Washington Post reported on it, according to the AP.
There have been many instances where presidents have kept details of overseas trips secret, but the details surrounding this trip being kept secret for weeks afterward are unprecedented, according to the AP.
Thursday August 13
ICE plans to give officers gloves able to deliver painful electric shocks
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon have gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks to deal with combative individuals. According to a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security, ICE plans to spend nearly $20 million on “conductive and de-escalation devices” for officers and agents, according to the AP.
These devices are known as G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. Some prisons and police departments have used the gloves in recent years, according to the AP.
Civil rights advocates worry about the use of these gloves, as they claim ICE agents have repeatedly been under fire for their use of force with little oversight. John Peters, the president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, said the gloves are an effective tool for dealing with resistance from individuals, the AP reported.
Friday August 14
Israeli settlers siege of Palestinian homes draws criticism from US
Israeli settlers surrounded three homes on the outskirts of Qusra, a town in the occupied West Bank. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee referred to the settlers as “terrorists” Thursday, a title US officials typically reserve for Palestinian militants, according to the AP.
The Israeli military condemned the settlers’ actions on Tuesday and declared Qusra a closed military zone, but dozens of settlers returned the next day, according to the AP.
Huckabee, who has been a long-time supporter of the settlements, condemned the rising settler violence, calling the actions “disgusting”, according to the AP.
