"Live from the NPR News and Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.
President Trump's pick for Attorney General is facing a new challenge after a key Republican
“Senator said she'll oppose confirming him.”
NPR's Barbara Sprint reports Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski says she plans to vote no on the nomination of Todd Blanch. Blanch has been serving as acting attorney general since April. His confirmation is a top priority for the President and the Republican-controlled Senate. In a statement, Senator Murkowski said the country needs an attorney general who will
"check the worst impulses of the administration." She said she does not have confidence, blanch can do that. All Democrats are expected to vote against the nomination and Republicans have an even narrower path given Senator Mitch McConnell's absence. The confirmation now comes down to Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who's been increasingly
critical of the administration since losing his reelection campaign to a challenger
endorsed by President Trump. Barbara Sprint and Pyrenees Washington stocks on Wall Street opened higher this morning
“after a disappointing job's report and PR's cut-horstly reports the Dow rose just over”
100 points in early trading. "A Downbeat report from the Labor Department shows U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs last month. Job gains for May and June were also revised down by a total of more than 100,000 jobs. Trump's and retailers cut jobs in July and so did public schools, health care continues to add workers, but at a slower pace than earlier this year."
The softening job market complicates the work of the Federal Reserve, which is also battling stubborn inflation. Investors had thought the Fed was likely to raise interest rates next month, but that's less certain if the job market appears to be on shaky ground. People who have jobs saw average wage gains of 3.2% over the last 12 months, that's probably
not enough to keep pace with rising prices. Scott Horsley and Pyrenees Washington. "Frosting cuters have filed five counts of arson against the man's suspected of starting
“wildfires in Spokane, Washington, page-browning from member station, KUOW reports."”
Aaron Faronachi is accused of starting this week's old trail's fire in Spokane, which has destroyed hundreds of structures including homes. The four additional arson charges stem from recorded interviews Faronachi had with detectives, in which he revealed he started more fires or explosions in both July and August of 2025 and this year.
Prosecutors argued his actions were manifestly dangerous to human life, including to firefighters, and involves major economic loss.
As Spokane County judge has now increased his bail to $2 million based on the suspect's
significant risk to community safety and potential for violence. The judge also ordered Faronachi to undergo a competency evaluation, which delays the timeline for him to enter a plea. For NPR News, I'm Page Browning in Spokane. This is NPR News in Washington.
Britain has approved Paramount's $81 billion takeover of Warner Brothers Discovery. Paramount agreed to protect editorial independence and maintain investment in British programming. The deal would bring CBS CNN HBO Max and Paramount plus under one corporate owner. The takeover is still facing an anti-trust lawsuit from California and 11 other US states. Today is the start of the Edinburgh of French built as the world's biggest comedy and
theater festival in Scotland. Among thousands of shows over the next three weeks, one in particular is stirring some controversy. The comedy called Cartwheel by Amanda Knox, the American study abroad student who was convicted and later acquitted of her British roommate's murder, 19 years ago in Italy, and P.R.s. Lauren Flair reports from London.
The title Cartwheel refers to how Amanda Knox was said to have done cartwheels at an Italian police station after Meredith Kercher's murder. The victim's sister Stephanie Kercher told the BBC that any comedy about that is hurtful to the Kercher family. It's very personal to us and effects her friends as well, still of seeing it's left a massive
void. Knox says the show is about what she calls her wrongful imprisonment, how she's now juggling motherhood and says she made it with deep heart and sensitivity.
I'm not the first person to invent using comedy to talk about traumatic and difficult material.
Her sold out show runs for 11 nights at the Edinburgh French, Lauren Flair and P.R. News London. This is NPR News. This week on the NPR Politics podcast, another progressive Democrat, Edges Out and Establishment Candidate.
Abdul L. Sayed, one Michigan Senate Primary, campaigning on affordability, health care, and ending US military aid to Israel. Join us as we break down his victory and what it could signal for November's midterms on the NPR Politics podcast.
