Todd Blanche rescinds 'anti-weaponization fund'. And, Trump calls off striking Iran

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Senate returns today with a packed agenda to tackle for its final session before a long recess until mid-September.On the to-do list is the confirmation hearing for President Trump's attorney general nominee, Todd Blanche.

In a letter released last night, Blanche formally rescinded a plan for a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" to compensate people who allege they've been unfairly targeted by the federal government.Republican senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis have withheld support for Blanche's nomination because of their opposition to the fund, which was created as part of a settlement deal for a lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS over leaked tax returns.Over the weekend, Trump posted on social media that the U.S.

is canceling planned attacks on Iran, and that "the perimeters of a deal" had been reached.The president credited allies for persuading him to avoid renewed attacks.

The U.S.and Israel were poised to strike Iran's energy infrastructure over the weekend, according to news reports.

Trump said the potential deal would ensure the immediate total opening of the Strait of Hormuz and eliminate Iran's nuclear threat.An NPR review of court records from the last five years reveals a dramatic shift in how the Department of Justice is using a Civil War–era statute to bring forth charges of conspiracy to impede or injure an officer.Since Trump took office last year, the department has charged more than three dozen people.

All of the cases involve people protesting federal immigration enforcement.Before 2025, most of the cases using the statute involved the insurrection at the U.S.

Capitol on Jan.6, 2021.In a new court filing, Capital One formally revealed that its decision to close roughly 385 bank accounts tied to the Trump Organization and its affiliates i...

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Publisher: NPR News

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