Live updates: Senate departs for August recess; Blanche confirmed as AG

The US Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche as the new Attorney General. He was confirmed in a narrow 50-49 vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposing him. According to Axios, Senator Bill Cassidy was seen as a potential blocker but announced he would vote in favor of Blanche.

Blanche has been serving as acting Attorney General since April, prior to which he was President Trump's former personal attorney. The Hill reported that Senators wrapped up their work early on Saturday, confirming Blanche and passing a stopgap funding bill before adjourning for the August recess.

The confirmation process was contentious, with some Republican senators raising concerns about Blanche's handling of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents and his role in establishing a fund. However, Blanche overcame these challenges and was ultimately confirmed as Attorney General.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, Jerusalem Post, France 24, Axios, CNBC World — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — read the original for the full account.