Attorney General Blanche, AI Invisibility, & Taxes or Death

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
August 10, 2026

Good Morning! Today’s edition is 925 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap:

First-time reader? Sign up here!

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general in a 50-49 vote early Saturday, formally putting President Donald Trump's former personal attorney in charge of the Justice Department. Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined every Democrat in opposing the nomination.
Blanche's confirmation had stalled over Republican concerns about a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies who claimed they were politically persecuted and an agreement shielding Trump and his family from certain tax audits. Blanche ultimately rescinded the fund and clarified that the audit protections would not apply to future tax filings, securing enough Republican support for confirmation.
Blanche previously served as Trump's criminal defense attorney before joining the Justice Department as deputy attorney general last year. He became acting attorney general after Trump fired Pam Bondi in April and has since overseen investigations involving several of the president's perceived political opponents.

Iran says there are no active negotiations with the U.S. over reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also cautioned that separate talks with Oman over managing shipping through the waterway should not be interpreted as an agreement to reopen it.
Iran has demanded that the U.S. withdraw its naval blockade, lift sanctions, unfreeze Iranian assets, compensate Tehran for war damages and permanently end the conflict with Iran and its regional allies before reopening the strait. Washington has not publicly responded to the demands.
With Hormuz largely impassable, Saudi Aramco is attempting to reroute some oil exports through the Red Sea. That alternative is facing its own security problems, however, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels have recently resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a drone strike on an Aramco refinery in Jizan.

A cybersecurity researcher says he has developed computer-generated patterns that can prevent some surveillance cameras from automatically recognizing people and vehicles. After roughly 31 million tests, Bill Swearingen says his noRecognition system has produced patterns capable of defeating 11 open-source detection algorithms used by systems including Flock license plate readers, Axon body cameras, and Clearview AI.
The patterns don't prevent cameras from recording. Instead, they confuse the algorithms analyzing the footage, preventing covered objects from being automatically identified or triggering detection alerts. Swearingen's model continuously generates and tests new designs, learning from failed attempts to improve subsequent patterns.
Swearingen demonstrated the technology publicly Friday at the Def Con cybersecurity conference, covering a car with one of the patterns and successfully preventing a Flock camera from detecting it. He now plans to sell clothing featuring the designs while continuing to refine the technology.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed a stopgap bill funding the government through Dec. 11, though the House must still approve the measure to prevent a shutdown. (More)

A boat captain was arrested after a capsize near Liberty Island killed a woman and her 5-month-old daughter, as authorities investigate whether the charter was illegal. (More)

A record 25.2 million Americans under 35 lived with their parents in 2025 as high housing costs squeezed young adults, including many who were employed. (More)

Alleged crime boss Daniel Kinahan was extradited from Dubai to Ireland, ending a yearslong pursuit of a man accused of helping control a third of Europe’s cocaine trade. (More)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a U.S.-backed plan for Gaza, saying Israeli troops will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is fully disarmed. (More)

Abelardo de la Espriella was sworn in as Colombia's president during a heavily secured ceremony in Cali, formally beginning his term as the country's leader. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.62%, Nasdaq +1.30%, Dow +0.28%); all three indexes posted a second straight week of gains. (More)

The Senate delayed a landmark crypto regulatory bill until September despite the industry spending more than $225 million on lobbying and political influence since January 2025. (More)

The federal commission overseeing tribal gambling remains without a chair, stalling enforcement and business approvals across an industry that generated a record $46 billion last year. (More)

Hall of Famer Don Nelson, the NBA’s second-winningest coach and a five-time champion as a Celtics player, died Sunday at 86. (More)

Demi Vollering won the Women’s Tour de France for the second time, sealing the overall title by winning Sunday’s final stage in Nice. (More)

Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri and Roger Craig were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as its 2026 class. (More)

Scientists discovered a new tree frog species in Costa Rica that thrives among coffee plants, where the tiny nocturnal amphibian feeds on insects and males sing at night. (More)

A 12-week study found three daily servings of full-fat dairy did not worsen weight, cholesterol, or insulin resistance and were associated with improved blood pressure. (More)

Stick insects that have reproduced asexually for one million years still maintain genetic mechanisms once needed to balance male and female genes, challenging assumptions about how evolution discards unused systems. (More)

How long can humans survive on each planet?

Ancient Rome used to sentence tax fraudsters to death.

NASA wants volunteers for a year-long space simulation.

The five people who have saved the most human lives.

Your feedback helps us provide the best newsletter possible.