Abdul El-Sayed has edged out Rep. Haley Stevens for an open Senate seat in Michigan's Democratic primary, The Associated Press reports. He faces Republican Mike Rogers in the November 3 general election.
Deal Up Wednesday – The US, Oman and Iran are close, Axios scoops, to an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which means another ceasefire between the US and Iran and a jump-start of negotiations over a nuclear deal. Look for a Trump administration announcement Wednesday.
Sources for Axios’ report are two regional sources and a US official.
This comes hot on the heels of a Reuters exclusive Tuesday that the US has used “virtually all” of its long-range precision missiles during the five months of war with Iran, three people familiar with Pentagon data told the news agency. The shortage involves primarily US Army surface-to-surface weapons, a.k.a. Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, and Precision Strike Missiles, or PsRM.
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Blanche Confirmation Still Uncertain – Having received written reassurance from acting Attorney Gen. Todd Blanche that he will not press forward with President Trump’s $1.776 “anti-weaponization” fund, lame duck Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) ushered Blanche’s nomination for the permanent AG position out of the Judiciary Committee Tuesday and on to the full Senate. Vote was along party lines.
But Blanche’s confirmation is not a done deal. While Cornyn, who lost his primary this year to Trump-endorsed Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton and Tillis, who chose not to run for re-election could have stopped Blanche cold in committee, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who faces a serious challenge from progressive-populist Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, is doing the opposite.
Collins says she will vote against Blanche’s confirmation, citing “several actions that have eroded (the Justice Department’s) independence,” according to Politico.
Part of that erosion for Collins is the Trump DOJ’s settlement with the Trump Internal Revenue Service that created the anti-weaponization fund, which could pay millions to January 6th rioters and immunize the president, his sons and the Trump Organization from tax audits.
Meanwhile, Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy, of Louisiana, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, have not committed to Blanche’s confirmation. If all three ultimately vote against him, his confirmation will be sunk.
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Gas, Diesel Ease – National average of unleaded regular is $4.0801, off 0.89 cents from Monday and up $1.2781 over February 27, the AAA reports. Diesel comes in at $5.3622 Wednesday, or 0.98 cents lower than Tuesday and +$1.6382
over late February. –Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa