GOP Senator Opposes Blanche for Attorney General; U.S. Economy Loses 23,000 Jobs in July

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Aug. 7 she will not support Todd Blanche for attorney general, putting Blanche’s nomination in jeopardy. Murkowski said in a post on X that she believes the country needs an attorney general “who will check the worst impulses of this administration” and that she’s not confident that person is Blanche.

Murkowski also said she is concerned that if Blanche is confirmed, the government will proceed with a fund of nearly $2 billion to award people who bring forth claims they were targeted unfairly by the government.

The U.S. labor market stalled last month as the economy unexpectedly lost jobs, new government data shows. Payrolls fell by 23,000 in July, from a downwardly revised 20,000 in the previous month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This fell short of the average monthly gain of 34,000 over the last 12 months.