The Daily Brief — July 30, 2026
Blanche confirmation on hold, courts differ on voting, Comey wants “86 47” case dismissed
These are today’s top stories, delivered straight to your inbox. Catch up here on all the news.
Blanche Vote Postponed, Again
President Trump says he may temporarily withdraw Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination — but keep him on as acting attorney general — until two Republican senators who are blocking his confirmation leave office next year.
Late yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a vote for the second time, due to opposition from Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.
Before they will agree to move Blanche’s nomination forward, Cornyn and Tillis want written confirmation that the DOJ will permanently kill the $1.776 “anti-weaponization fund” created under a settlement that resolved Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS.
Blanche negotiated the deal as acting attorney general. The fund was designed to pay victims of what the president described as political persecution but ran into bipartisan opposition when it was announced. While the Justice Department said in June the fund is no longer active, the senators want that commitment in writing.
The senators also want the DOJ to modify the scope of a separate part of the settlement that shields Trump and his family from tax audits. They want to ensure the shield applies only to past returns, not future ones. All 10 Democrats on the 22-member committee oppose Blanche, so both Republicans’ votes are needed to advance the nomination.
Cornyn said the Justice Department has not addressed his concerns, adding that the department “stonewalled” his request about the fund.
Courts Differ on Trump’s Order
Two federal appeals courts issued conflicting rulings this week on President Trump’s executive order to create a national voter list and restrict mail ballots.
Trump signed the order March 31, directing the Department of Homeland Security to compile voter eligibility lists and the US Postal Service to create new rules on mail ballots.
Earlier this week, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit halted a lawsuit by the Democratic National Committee and Democratic congressional leaders that had sought to block the executive order. The court found that the plaintiffs couldn’t show imminent harm because neither the DHS nor the Postal Service had yet acted on the order.
That ruling contrasts with a decision over the weekend from the First Circuit, which upheld an injunction blocking the order in the 23 states that sued to stop it. That panel wrote that the order directs “unprecedented levels of involvement by federal officials in how states administer elections” and warned it could disenfranchise eligible voters before November’s midterms.
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to lift the First Circuit’s block. The Supreme Court has asked the states to respond by August 3.
Comey Seeks Dismissal of “86 47” Case
Former FBI Director James Comey is asking a federal judge to dismiss the criminal case over his now-deleted Instagram post of seashells spelling “86 47.” He argues he’s being prosecuted because of President Trump’s animus toward him, not because he broke the law.
Prosecutors say the post threatened Trump, the 47th president. To “86” something is restaurant jargon for getting rid of it. Comey’s lawyers argued the term was used as “mere political hyperbole, not a true threat.”
Comey’s lawyers also suggested President Trump was personally involved in the investigation, citing Secret Service records showing Trump asked for a summary of Comey’s interview conducted in May 2025. A Secret Service agent wrote that Trump was “very interested“ in the case.
The filing also says agents obtained Comey’s cell phone location from Verizon under an “emergency“ request without a warrant, tracking him as he drove from North Carolina to his Virginia home.
Comey’s lawyers say investigators repeatedly failed to present evidence — including when seeking warrants to search the digital accounts of Comey and his wife — that he intended to threaten Trump or that he thought “86” meant violence.
Newsbreak
Featuring an illustrated design and sturdy construction, this canvas tote bag from Rifle Paper Company is a great grab-and-go accessory for everything from school to daily errands. It’s roomy and easy to wipe clean. The front showcases a stack of classic books, and there’s plenty of room inside for your own reading too.
Medicare Drug Subsidies Ending
The Trump administration plans to end a Biden-era subsidy program that has helped keep premiums for Medicare prescription drug plans low, a move that could leave millions of seniors paying more for coverage next year.
About 25 million people are enrolled in the affected plans. The Biden administration created the subsidies to reduce the impact of premium increases following changes to Medicare’s prescription drug benefit. Those subsidies kept the premiums low; now they are expected to rise, beginning in 2027.
The average monthly premium is $36, according to KFF, a nonprofit health policy research organization.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said yesterday that it will phase out the subsidies after 2026. It argues that the Biden administration gave billions to big insurance companies. A 2022 law expanded Medicare drug benefits, including capping seniors’ out-of-pocket prescription costs. Because those changes increased the costs of providing coverage, the Biden administration temporarily subsidized Medicare drug plans to keep monthly premiums from rising sharply.
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said premiums would rise by less than $10 a month for most affected enrollees, “with many even seeing LOWER premiums.”
US Strikes Iran
The US launched strikes against Iran yesterday evening. US Central Command called the strikes a response to Iran’s firing ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan on Tuesday.
A previous US–Iran ceasefire, reached in June, collapsed last month after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the strait. The Senate today rejected, 50–49, a resolution that would have directed Trump to end the war under the War Powers Act — the second such vote to fail in two weeks.
Congressman Accused of Violence
Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), a second-term congressman seeking reelection, has been accused by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, of repeatedly abusing her during their marriage. In court filings, Moreno alleges Miller threw scalding water at her chest and stomach, held a gun to her head, and hit her head against a wall. She also says she couldn’t rule out that Miller fractured their daughter’s collarbone. According to Mother Jones, a child protection specialist characterized the bruising near the fracture as a “handprint.”
Miller has denied all the allegations and sued Moreno, calling her mentally ill, a liar, and a stalker.
Miller and Moreno — daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno — divorced last year and are currently in a custody battle over their two-year-old daughter.
Miller has also been accused of abuse by his former girlfriend, Stephanie Grisham, who served as White House press secretary during Trump’s first administration. In a 2021 Washington Post op-ed, Grisham wrote about a relationship that “turned abusive“ with a man who had “anger issues and a violent streak.”
Though she did not name him in the op-ed, Miller sued Grisham for defamation, arguing it was widely known they had dated. Grisham later sued back, alleging Miller violated a nondisclosure agreement by publicly calling her a liar. Miller has continued to campaign for his reelection.
The Democratic Women’s Caucus today called for the House Ethics Committee to immediately investigate Miller over allegations of domestic abuse, describing them as “deeply disturbing.”
Trump’s Dulles Redesign Wish
President Trump has announced a $22.5 billion plan to redesign Dulles International Airport, part of what he called an effort to make the Washington, DC, region “safe and beautiful again.”
The plan would add more than 5 million square feet of new or renovated space and replace two of the airport’s concourses, while preserving the original main terminal. It would also retire the airport’s aging shuttle buses for a new train system.
Construction is expected to begin next spring. Trump said the project would take about two years.
Shooter’s Father Gets 15 years
A Georgia man was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for giving his son an assault-style rifle as a Christmas gift, which the teenager later used to fatally shoot two students and two teachers at his high school. Colin Gray, father of Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray, was convicted of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and other charges in March.
Before the school shooting, Colin Gray left the gun unsecured despite warnings that his son posed a danger to others. The judge said at his sentencing, “It is clear you failed as a parent…You were convicted because the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter and you didn’t get him help.”
Colt Gray pleaded guilty last week to all 55 charges stemming from the 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School, including murder.
22.5 billion dollars on an airport, but not money to feed children, provide medical care, or help pregnant mothers. The WH can never find money to help the non-billionairs, but money magically appears when trump wants something he can put his name on.😡😡
Where is the money for the airport supposedly coming from?!?!?!?