NPR News: 07-15-2026 12PM EDT

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:01

Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Senate Judiciary Committee's weighing whether to keep acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in his job permanently. Blanche's tenure has been overshadowed by criticism on several fronts, included, including accelerated investigations into President Trump's political rivals and the DOJ's handling of files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The panel's ranking Democrat, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, addressed the Epstein case today.

Dick Durbin· Soundbite0:33

Under your leadership, more than 1,000 FBI personnel were pulled off of other priorities and directed to flag Epstein records, uh, for any mentions of President Trump. When scrutiny of the cover-up intensified, you participated in meetings in the White House situation room to strategize about how to protect President Trump.

Lakshmi Singh· Host0:54

Also on Capitol Hill this morning, a confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton to head the nation's intelligence agencies, and for Dr. Erica Schwartz, a retired rear admiral, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. President Trump is urging Immigration and Customs Enforcement to keep conducting traffic stops despite two recent deadly shootings involving men who were not the intended targets of immigration operations. Yesterday, ICE said it would pause stops deemed non-urgent following a series of deadly encounters with civilians in Minnesota and most