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Trump’s DOJ pick in trouble as GOP concerns threaten confirmation
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President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice is already facing headwinds among Senate Republicans that could derail, or outright torpedo, his confirmation process.
And the process to either confirm or deny acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to replace former Attorney General Pam Bondi is already underway in the Senate, with Trump officially sending his nomination to the upper chamber on Monday.
Blanche’s involvement in the controversial, now-defunct $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, and his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill rioters are two key breaking points for some Senate Republicans.
TRUMP EYES NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL AS KEY GOP SENATOR SIGNALS POTENTIAL ROADBLOCK
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for a House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Committee Subcommittee hearing in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on June 2, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
His first challenge will be getting through the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., could be the pivotal vote that would make or break his confirmation.
Tillis was vehemently opposed to the anti-weaponization fund, going so far as to offer an amendment to divert the money to the nation’s anti-fraud fund and voting with Senate Democrats every step of the way to ensure there was no chance the move could be made again.
But for Tillis, Blanche’s comments and actions about the Jan. 6 rioters are his main «circuit breaker.»
«They better not have said for one minute that the people who beat up police officers, like these right down here, were righteous people,» Tillis said. «You come even close to saying that, you don’t have a [chance] of getting my vote in Judiciary.»
WATCH: DEM SENATOR SNAPS AFTER ACTING AG BLANCHE ACCUSES HIM OF ‘OBVIOUSLY LYING’ IN HEATED EXCHANGE
The skepticism about Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer before making the leap to the DOJ, extends beyond Tillis among those in the GOP. And he’ll receive no quarter from Senate Democrats, either in committee or during a confirmation vote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Blanche of both shielding Trump from legal consequences and using «the justice system to go after his boss’ political enemies, bringing baseless charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center, Jim Comey, and others.»
«Trump and Blanche are cut from the same crooked cloth,» Schumer said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said it was «hard to say» whether Blanche would have the votes to be confirmed.
TODD BLANCHE ‘HONORED AND HUMBLED’ BY TRUMP’S AG NOMINATION AFTER EXPLOSIVE WEEK OF FEDERAL ARRESTS
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., questions Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress in the Dirksen building on June 25, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
«I think obviously most of our members are pretty deferential to who the president wants in these key positions,» Thune said. «He’s already serving in the role and clearly has experience in it. But this is an environment where nothing is a safe or sure bet.»
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced that the committee had received the nomination Monday afternoon.
Grassley said he «worked well» with Blanche and has appreciated «his commitment to transparency and support for law enforcement.»
«Blanche is well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country,» Grassley said in a statement. «The Senate Judiciary Committee’s work to process Blanche’s nomination is underway.»
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Several Republicans were furious over the anti-weaponization fund, and berated Blanche behind closed doors last month over how it would operate, and whether Jan. 6 rioters would have access to the taxpayer money.
How much of a hand he had in that move could also determine his success in a Senate confirmation vote should he make it through the Senate Judiciary Committee.
«I think it’s gonna come down to the extent of his involvement in this weaponization fund,» Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said.
politics, pam bondi, chuck grassley, senate elections, donald trump
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Boy, 2, pulled alive from rubble six days after Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes
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Emergency workers in Venezuela on Tuesday rescued a 2-year-old boy who had been trapped beneath the rubble for six days, marking the only reported rescue of a survivor on the sixth day of operations following last week’s devastating earthquakes.
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said in a Telegram post that Jordanian emergency workers pulled the child from a collapsed building in La Guaira, where the worst destruction from last week’s earthquakes occurred.
The child, identified by authorities as Klieber Moran, was rescued after spending six days trapped beneath the rubble, Rodríguez said.
Moran was taken to a hospital for treatment, she added.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
A Jordanian team works to rescue a child trapped under rubble following earthquakes in Venezuela, in a location given as Caracas, Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said in a televised address Tuesday that officials remain hopeful more survivors will be found.
«We must hold onto the hope of continuing to find people alive beneath the rubble,» Jorge said. «Early this morning, a 2-year-old boy was rescued and is currently receiving care at a health center in Caracas.»
Rescue efforts have continued since magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast last Wednesday.
DEATH TOLL FROM VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES RISES TO AT LEAST 235, WITH THOUSANDS REPORTED MISSING
Emergency workers rescued a 2-year-old boy after he spent six days trapped beneath the rubble following last week’s earthquakes in Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
The death toll from the twin earthquakes rose to 1,943 on Tuesday, with more than 10,500 people injured, according to Venezuelan officials. On Monday, the death toll stood at 1,719.
Tuesday’s rescue marked another glimmer of hope amid the disaster that has devastated the South American country.
On Saturday, the U.S. State Department shared video showing American search-and-rescue teams pulling an infant alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela.
EX-MLB PLAYER SAYS WIFE DIED IN DEVASTATING VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES
A child receives emergency medical attention after being rescued by a Jordanian team from under rubble following earthquakes in Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital. Both suffered only minor injuries, according to the rescue team.
«Against impossible odds, hope endures,» the State Department posted on X.
On Tuesday, a shipment from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) containing 47 metric tons of humanitarian supplies arrived in Venezuela.
FORMER METS PITCHER NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH IN VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES THANKS TO ELEVATOR MALFUNCTION
Emergency workers rescued 2-year-old Klieber Moran from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela six days after the country’s devastating earthquakes, according to Venezuelan officials. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)
The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday to help search collapsed buildings.
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According to the State Department, the three USAR teams include 312 personnel and 18 canine teams, made up of firefighters, physicians, structural engineers and canine search specialists, and deployed with more than 200,000 pounds of specialized rescue equipment.
Reuters contributed to this report.
disaster response disasters, venezuelan political crisis, aftermath disasters, nicolas maduro, earthquakes
El humor es algo muy personal. Un chiste o una caída cómica que hace que una persona se parta de risa puede dejar a otra con la mirada perdida. Pero la risa es universal, un instinto innato que comparten los humanos de todo el mundo.
Y no solo los humanos. Los chimpancés ríen entre dientes, los gorilas sueltan carcajadas, los bonobos se desternillan. Todos los grandes simios del planeta se ríen, y suelen hacerlo con el mismo tipo de ritmo regular y repetitivo que los humanos, según han descubierto los científicos en un pequeño estudio reciente.
La investigación arroja luz sobre cómo evolucionó la risa junto con los grandes simios y entre ellos: se volvió más rápida y variable en los humanos que en estas otras especies de primates. Mientras que los simios no humanos parecían reírse de formas bastante fijas, los humanos eran más flexibles en sus expresiones de alegría, y cambiaban el ritmo de sus risitas según la circunstancia, descubrieron los científicos.
“Creo que podemos decir que somos los maestros de la risa”, dijo Chiara De Gregorio, investigadora de la Universidad de Warwick en el Reino Unido y una de las autoras del estudio. “Podemos soltar una risita discreta y educada delante de la reina de Inglaterra, y luego, cuando estamos en el pub con nuestros amigos, reírnos muchísimo y de una forma completamente distinta. Incluso podemos reírnos de una manera que le haga entender a la otra persona que, en realidad, no nos pareció graciosa la broma que contó“.
Este amplio repertorio requiere una considerable flexibilidad y control vocal, las mismas habilidades que los humanos habrían necesitado para el lenguaje hablado.
El estudio demostró la “singularidad de la risa humana”, dijo Greg Bryant, científico cognitivo de la Universidad de California, campus Los Ángeles, que no participó en la nueva investigación. “Ofrece una ventana hacia la evolución vocal humana”.
En el nuevo estudio, publicado el jueves en la revista Communications Biology, los investigadores analizaron grabaciones de risa de cuatro niños y 13 simios jóvenes en cautiverio: cuatro orangutanes, dos gorilas, tres bonobos y cuatro chimpancés. Algunas de las grabaciones contenían risas producidas durante el juego, mientras que otras capturaban risas provocadas por cosquillas.
(Muchas de las grabaciones fueron creadas originalmente hace dos décadas por Marina Davila-Ross, psicóloga comparada de la Universidad de Portsmouth, en el Reino Unido, y autora del nuevo estudio. “No tuve la suerte de estar allí haciéndoles cosquillas a los pequeños gorilas en ese momento”, dijo De Gregorio.)
Los científicos descubrieron que, al hacerles cosquillas, todas las especies emitían risas que compartían la misma característica rítmica básica: eran isócronas, lo que significa que cada vocalización –cada jadeo, cada gruñido o cada “ja”– se producía a intervalos regulares y uniformes, como el tictac de un reloj o un metrónomo.
Los científicos no observaron esta misma regularidad en la risa que los humanos u otros simios producían mientras jugaban, quizá porque la naturaleza física y bulliciosa de muchas de estas sesiones de juego alteraba la regularidad de la respiración.
Leé también: Los cuatro beneficios de la risa para la salud física y mental
Aunque la risa de los humanos y los simios compartía algunas propiedades rítmicas básicas, el tempo, o velocidad, de estos ritmos variaba considerablemente entre especies. En promedio, la risa de los humanos era más rápida que la de otros simios, y las especies más cercanas a los humanos (chimpancés y bonobos) reían más rápido que aquellas más distantes (gorilas y orangutanes).
“Imagina”, dijo Gregorio, “un metrónomo que va más lento para los orangutanes, algo así como tic… tic… tic… pero más rápido, mucho más rápido, en los humanos, así: tic-tic-tic-tic”.
Aunque los humanos eran, en promedio, quienes reían más rápido, mostraban una enorme variabilidad en la velocidad de su risa, riendo de forma lánguida en algunas circunstancias y rápidamente en otras. También fueron la única especie que cambiaba el tempo de su risa según el contexto, riendo más rápido, por ejemplo, mientras les hacían cosquillas que durante el juego.
El estudio tuvo limitaciones; el grupo de sujetos era pequeño, y los investigadores analizaron solo un puñado de las muchas características de la risa. Pero futuros estudios con muestras más amplias podrían ayudar a los científicos a saber más sobre cómo los humanos la hicieron suya.
“La risa es una parte tan importante de nuestra forma de comunicarnos”, dijo De Gregorio. “Es capaz de transmitir mucho más que un simple ‘estoy jugando y me lo estoy pasando bien’”.
*Por Emily Anthes, reportera científica que escribe principalmente sobre ciencia y salud animal. También cubrió la pandemia de coronavirus.
The New York Times, risa, monos
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State Department announces ‘total compliance’ from Venezuelan government in relief efforts after Maduro arrest
Secretary Rubio details US aid to Venezuela after earthquakes
Secretary Rubio, in Manama, Bahrain, outlines the comprehensive U.S. government response to the devastating back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela. He confirmed the immediate deployment of search and rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian assistance, emphasizing the urgency to save lives. Rubio reiterates President Donald Trump’s commitment to supporting Venezuela and collaborating with international partners on recovery efforts and long-term stability.
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The Trump administration says it has complete support from the Venezuelan government amid humanitarian efforts just months after the removal of former dictator Nicolás Maduro, which sparked rage among the president’s opponents.
After magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck the northern part of the South American nation last week, the American government stepped in to help in a move that the administration says has been welcomed by the Venezuelan government and citizenry alike.
«We have seen total compliance from the interim authorities in Venezuela as a result of the unprecedented response by the United States to these deadly earthquakes,» a State Department official told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
US MILITARY TOUTS WORK TO ASSIST IN VENEZUELA FOLLOWING DEADLY EARTHQUAKES
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed federal agents en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan, Jan. 5, in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images, File)
The death toll from the natural disaster stands at nearly 2,000 and continues to rise.
«Every request we have made has been immediately granted and in turn, we have seen an incredible outpouring of support from the Venezuelan people towards Americans on the ground,» the official continued.
TRUMP ‘SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING’ PLAN TO MAKE VENEZUELA AND ITS $40 TRILLION IN OIL PERMANENT PART OF USA
A U.S. military V-22 Osprey aircraft lands in Caraballeda, La Guajira state, Venezuela, June 27, as part of rescue operations following earthquakes there. (Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)
On Jan. 3, U.S. special forces successfully took Maduro into custody after a daring nighttime mission that overwhelmed the dictator’s armed guards. After penetrating Maduro’s palace, they took him into custody. He was relocated to the United States where he remains in jail awaiting trial on narco-terrorism and gun charges.
The progressive political left rushed to the defense of the brutal socialist authoritarian in the wake of his capture.
US CAPTURE OF MADURO THROWS SPOTLIGHT ON VENEZUELA’S MASSIVE OIL RESERVES
Protesters gather outside the Manhattan Federal Court ahead of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s appearance in January. (Fox News, File)
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., warned that the event risked violating international law, while Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., called the United States a «rogue state.»
«Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution. These are the actions of a rogue state,» Tlaib wrote on social media.
«The American people do not want another regime change war abroad,» she added.
Rescue workers search through the rubble three days after two earthquakes struck Catia la Mar, Venezuela, Saturday. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
«Maduro’s illegitimate election does not give the president the power to invade without congressional approval, nor does it create a national security justification. That contention is laughable,» said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
The Trump administration has taken swift action to help the Venezuelan people amid the crisis, including mobilizing $150 million in humanitarian relief.
It has assembled a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) composed of more than 250 people, including three specialized Urban Search-and-Rescue (USAR) teams. The administration says the teams have conducted critical life-saving measures.
Responders search for victims in a demolished building in Caracas, Venezuela, after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and a 7.5 aftershock struck the region. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
The U.S. military has assisted with logistics.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court installed Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s interim president.
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Since then, diplomatic relations with the country have been restored, though officials in Washington have made it clear that such cooperation is temporary, while emphasizing the U.S. does not view her presidency as a permanent solution.
state department, donald trump, venezuelan political crisis, aftermath disasters, politics, earthquakes, nicolas maduro
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