NPR News: 08-09-2026 12AM EDT
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Why was the Senate vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General so narrowly decided?
Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. By the narrowest of margins, the Senate early Saturday voted to confirm Todd Blanch as the U.S. Attorney General. He'd been acting in that role for months. NPR's Barbara Sprunt explains why the vote was so close.
Yesterday, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said she would oppose his nomination. She said the country needs an attorney general who will check the worst impulses of the administration. And she doesn't have confidence that Blanche can achieve that. Susan Collins of Maine had already said she'd vote against Blanche. And with Mitch McConnell out, it came down to Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
How are fast‑moving wildfires affecting communities in central British Columbia?
And there was a bit of a dramatic reveal on the Senate floor when Cassidy explained why he would support Blanche. And he essentially said that he wasn't sure anyone else would be more successful.
That's NPR's Barbara Sprunt with that story. Thousands of the people in central British Columbia are leaving their homes ahead of a fast-moving wildfire at this hour. It's just one of dozens of fires spreading across the province where a state of emergency has been issued. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, officials in the District of Summerland have also declared an emergency.
The evacuation order covers the entire district. Officials say the Bald Range wildfire exploded in size over the past 24 hours and now poses a significant threat to the health, safety and welfare of the more than 12,000 people who live there. The region's emergency information officer says it has become one of the quickest moving and fastest growing fires experienced in the area. Recent surveys suggest the fires in British Columbia, the Northwest and in Northern Ontario have sparked a sharp rise in Canadians' concerns about climate change.
What new disclosure rules are states imposing on paid political influencers?
For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.
A growing number of states are considering stricter rules for social media influencers who are paid to promote political candidates. As NPR's Windsor Johnston reports, the issue is taking on new urgency as campaigns are courting popular online creators in the lead-up to elections in the fall.
Texas now requires online creators to disclose when they are paid to post political content online. and lawmakers in New York are considering a similar rule. California already requires disclosure, and a bill before the state legislature would allow fines of up to $5,000 per violation. The issue recently surfaced in Michigan, where influencers on social media were reportedly offered money to promote Democratic primary Senate candidate Haley Stevens without clearly disclosing the payments. Stevens' campaign denied any involvement. The controversy highlights the growing role of paid influencers as campaigns try to reach voters ahead of the midterm elections. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.
Why has Lake Mead dropped to its lowest water level in 90 years?
The largest reservoir in the U.S. has plummeted to its lowest water level since it was created some 90 years ago. Federal data shows that Lake Mead fell Friday to a level just below the prior record low set in July of 2022. You're listening to NPR News. A Ukrainian known as the Collector of Souls for his dangerous work to recover remains on the front lines in the war with Russia has been killed in a landmine blast. NPR's Scott Newman has more.
In 2014, after the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea and the insurgency in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, Alexei Yukov founded a volunteer organization known as Plotsdarm or Bridgehead to recover the dead on all sides of the conflict. Eight years later, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine intensified the need for his efforts. Earlier in the war, he was severely wounded in a similar mine blast to the one that killed him earlier this week. But that didn't slow Yukov down.
Who was the Ukrainian “Collector of Souls” and how did he die on a recovery mission?
He was known for getting in close to the action to recover remains and bring closure to the families of the dead. And that's where he was killed, in Donetsk, on a recovery mission. Scott Newman, NPR News.
Typhoon Dolphin is off the coast of China at this hour and is expected to land this weekend on China's east coast.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
Why was the Senate vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General so narrowly decided?
0:01–0:36
2
How are fast‑moving wildfires affecting communities in central British Columbia?
0:36–1:38
3
What new disclosure rules are states imposing on paid political influencers?
1:38–2:43
4
Why has Lake Mead dropped to its lowest water level in 90 years?
2:43–3:41
5
Who was the Ukrainian “Collector of Souls” and how did he die on a recovery mission?
3:41–4:26
6
What threats does Typhoon Dolphin pose for China’s east coast and how are authorities responding?
4:26–5:04