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FLAG: Trump just said he doesn't object to withdrawing Todd Blanche's nomination — keeping him in an acting capacity as AG — until after Sens. Cornyn and Tillis are out of office.

NEW on MS NOW: Sen. John Cornyn says he's "prepared to vote no" on Todd Blanche's nomination and "we're no closer than we were before" after the Justice Department's counter-proposal. Cornyn laid the roadblock at Trump's feet, saying he could "fix it in a minute."

BREAKING: WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June.

BREAKING: The Senate Judiciary Committee just postponed the vote to advance Todd Blanche's AG nomination.

Trump's Justice Department just suffered its 18th defeat — with no wins — in its nationwide voter data crusade when a federal judge dismissed the department's lawsuit seeking New Jersey's unredacted voter rolls.

Trump DOJ loses bid for New Jersey voter rolls, now 0 for 18The ruling arrived one day after New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) formally rejected a new DOJ request for personal information about people mistakenly registered through a software failure.www.democracydocket.com

FLAG: The Senate has just adopted by unanimous consent a non-binding resolution opposing a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell for any crimes related to Jeffrey Epstein.

MS NOW EXCLUSIVE: The Secret Service felt pressure from the Trump admin to surveil James Comey. Documents detail worries about the legality of the directive to surveil Comey — including surreptitiously tracking Comey's phone without a warrant — in the wake of his 'seashells' photo.

Secret Service felt pressure from administration to surveil James Comey, new documents revealDocuments detail worries about the legality of a directive to surveil the former FBI director after the “seashells” photo the government claims amounts to a threat to President Donald Trump’s life.www.ms.now

BREAKING on MS NOW: The scheduled meeting between John Cornyn and Todd Blanche has just been called off after Cornyn said Blanche didn't have the proposals on the slush fund he demanded.

Security just removed Dr. Fauci's attorney from hearing room after Rand Paul said the attorney was speaking out of turn.

BREAKING: Dr. Anthony Fauci is invoking the Fifth Amendment and declining to answer questions from senators in the Republican-led hearing about his handling of the COVID pandemic. Fauci is accusing Rand Paul of having an "unhinged obsession" with him.

James Comey has just asked a federal judge to dismiss the seashells case — alleging vindictive and selective prosecution. He claims that Trump compelled the U.S. Secret Service to surveil him after he posted that '8647' photo online.

Comey asks judge to ‘86’ seashells case, alleges he was surveilled at Trump’s directionIn his motion to dismiss charges that he threatened the president by posting a photo of sea shells, the former FBI director claims he had been surveilled by U.S. Secret Service.www.ms.now

BREAKING: Trump ally Jay Clayton, who has no intelligence experience, has just been confirmed by the Senate to be Director of National Intelligence.

Texas Public Opinion Research poll: U.S. Senate James Talarico 45% Ken Paxton 40% It marks Talarico's "largest lead in any public poll taken during the general election period."

Talarico leads Paxton by 5 points in new Texas Senate pollThe poll found the Austin Democrat with a commanding lead among independents and a surprising edge with non-college-educated voters, who have consistently favored Republicans.www.texastribune.org

BREAKING WSJ: The Trump admin plans to end a subsidy program that helped hold down premiums for Medicare drug plans — a move that could leave many seniors facing higher rates for their prescription coverage next year.

Exclusive | Trump Administration to End Medicare Drug Plan SubsidyProgram that held down premiums won’t be renewed for 2027, resulting in higher costs for some seniors.www.wsj.com

Senate Democrats are demanding answers from Todd Blanche about subpoenas he authorized to New York Times journalists — including whether Trump pressured the Justice Department to issue them.

Senate Democrats Press Blanche on Times SubpoenasDays before a committee vote on Todd Blanche’s nomination to be attorney general, Democrats demanded answers about the since-withdrawn subpoenas.www.nytimes.com

Gov. Beshear on Mitch McConnell: "If he can have a 17-minute conversation with his protege, he can call into any of your news stations for three. All we're asking is just a little bit of proof."

A new POLITICO Poll finds nearly half of Americans can't explain Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act — and those who can are much more likely to say it's helped others, including the wealthy, but not them. One in three said the mega-bill had hurt their bottom line. Just 8% said it had helped.

Poll: Even Trump voters aren’t very impressed by the GOP’s tax overhaulA July POLITICO Poll shows that many people can’t explain the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or think it has helped the wealthy — a frustrating situation for the GOP ahead of the midterms.www.politico.com

NEW: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is demanding in a new letter that Mitch McConnell "directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign."

Speak or resign: Beshear ups demand for McConnell health statusMcConnell's absence is fueling speculation about his capacity to serve.www.axios.com

Lawyers for Davey Hearn, the Olympian accused of criminally damaging the Reflecting Pool, said in a new filing that a crucial witness testified the area was already damaged before Hearn touched the water They also requested access to all materials that led to his indictment.

Witness in Reflecting Pool case conceded damage before canoeist touched waterDavid “Davey” Hearn was indicted this month and accused of damaging the pool. He has pleaded not guilty.www.nbcnews.com

Trump loyalist Bill Pulte, the unqualified acting DNI, just announced a fifth round of layoffs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence — hours before his (also unqualified) replacement is likely confirmed by the Senate.