AG Fund Pulled

GOP Senators Force Blanche to Drop $1.8 Billion Fund

The so-called "anti-weaponization fund" was designed to channel money to Trump's political allies. Cornyn and Tillis said they would vote against Blanche's confirmation if the fund stayed in place. Faced with that threat, Blanche backed down and withdrew it entirely, according to AP News.

The Senate Judiciary Committee vote is scheduled for Tuesday. Blanche has been serving as acting attorney general while awaiting full Senate confirmation. His path forward now looks clearer after dropping the fund, AP News reported.

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Idaho Fast-Food Shooting Suspect Named as Chad Williams

Authorities have identified the suspect in a deadly shooting at a fast-food restaurant in Idaho. The gunman is 24-year-old Chad Williams. Officials have not yet released details on a possible motive or how many people were injured, according to AP News.

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Greece Wildfire Battle Resumes After Helicopter Collision

Water-dropping planes and helicopters took off to fight a major wildfire burning west of Athens, Greece. The operation resumed after a midair collision between two firefighting helicopters. The crash had briefly grounded aerial efforts, threatening to let the fire spread further, according to AP News.

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Asian Markets Mixed as Yen Stabilizes, Oil Prices Slide

Asian stock markets showed mixed results after the U.S. and Japan confirmed they had stepped in to prop up the Japanese yen. The currency had been falling sharply against the dollar. The intervention steadied the yen but did not spark a broad market rally, AP News reported.

Oil prices fell sharply during the same period. President Trump's latest moves contributed to the drop in crude prices. Falling oil prices can lower costs for consumers but may hurt energy companies and oil-producing nations, according to AP News.

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