A New Attorney General, Profiting Off Immigration Detention, Hollywood Merger

August 8, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general by a single vote early Saturday morning, capping a bitter confirmation fight that exposed deep Republican unease about politicization at the Justice Department. Two GOP senators—Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—voted against Blanche, citing his role in establishing a $1.8 billion fund that was structured to benefit Trump allies before he rescinded it. That made Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy the decisive swing vote. Cassidy acknowledged Blanche’s flaws on the Senate floor but argued the alternative was worse: "The choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump." Blanche’s confirmation was part of a frantic pre-recess Senate session that also approved a Russia sanctions bill, 87-11, named for the late GOP Senator Lindsey Graham. The bill squeezes the Russian economy and now heads to the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson has signaled support. Lawmakers also passed a stopgap funding measure to keep the government running past November’s midterms. But a Republican push for a voter ID bill—part of the so-called Save America Act—failed, setting up a fight that will likely continue after recess.

Private prison companies report record profits from immigration detention

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of Up First from NPR

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (02:07) **Todd Blanche Confirmed as Attorney General** - The Senate narrowly confirms President Trump's pick for Attorney General, Todd Blanche, by a single vote after losing support from two Republicans.
2 (03:54) **Senate Passes Russia Sanctions Bill** - The Senate approves a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill with a vote of 87 to 11, named after the late GOP Senator Lindsey Graham.
3 (04:55) **Senate Recess and Midterm Campaigning** - Both chambers of Congress begin their August recess, setting the stage for a critical campaign season before the midterm elections.
4 (05:56) **Private Prison Profits Surge on Immigration Detention** - Core Civic and GEO Group report record profits for the quarter, driven by expanded contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
5 (09:05) **Trump Administration Ties to Private Prison Companies** - The close relationship between the Trump administration and private prison companies is highlighted by key personnel and financial connections.
6 (10:09) **Hollywood Merger Stirs Controversy** - The proposed $111 billion merger between Paramount Sky Dance and Warner Brothers Discovery faces significant opposition but gains support from major theater chains.
7 (11:21) **Theater CEOs Back the Merger** - The CEOs of Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres publicly support the Paramount deal, arguing it is critical for the movie industry's recovery.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Vanessa Romo Tom Homan Pam Bondi

Show Notes

Todd Blanche squeaks past a confirmation vote from the Senate. Private prison companies are making record profits from ICE detentions. Regal Cinemas announces support for the mega merger of Paramount and Warner Brothers.

Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy