{"id":217300,"date":"2026-07-16T15:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/todd-blanche-defends-trump-relationship-and-new-audio-in-nolan-wells-case-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:26:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T15:26:02","slug":"todd-blanche-defends-trump-relationship-and-new-audio-in-nolan-wells-case-morning-rundown-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/todd-blanche-defends-trump-relationship-and-new-audio-in-nolan-wells-case-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Todd Blanche defends Trump relationship and new audio in Nolan Wells case: Morning Rundown – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Todd Blanche faces questions about Trump, the Epstein files and more in his attorney general confirmation hearing. Friends of Nolan Wells called for help with their boat on the day the teen went missing, according to new audio. And some companies are starting to limit their employees\u2019 use of AI products.
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Here\u2019s what to know today.
In a confirmation hearing before the Senate yesterday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faced questions about his friendship with President Donald Trump and the Justice Department\u2019s handling of the Epstein files. He also insisted he\u2019s not a \u201cyes man\u201d to the president \u2014 but said Trump is still his boss.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up <\/strong><\/em>here<\/strong><\/em><\/a> to get it in your inbox.<\/strong><\/em>
After the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham last weekend, a single Republican defection could block Blanche\u2019s confirmation for the permanent job. Sen. John Cornyn, who has been caught in Trump\u2019s crosshairs, said he\u2019s \u201cnot there yet\u201d on voting in favor of Blanche.
When asked whether he\u2019d run the DOJ independently from the White House, Blanche said he\u2019d operate it with the goal of protecting Americans \u2014 but as a member of the executive branch, he reports to the president. Blanche also defended himself when questioned about whether his previous dealings with Trump as his former personal lawyer would be a conflict of interest.
\u201cI\u2019m his lawyer. Was his lawyer,\u201d Blanche said at one point, correcting himself, while being questioned.
Sen. Thom Tillis grilled Blanche on the $1.8 billion \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund to settle Trump\u2019s suit against the IRS, asking if the fund was truly \u201cdead.\u201d Numerous Democrats also pressed Blanche about his handling of the Epstein files, prompting him to apologize for a mistake \u201cin about 1% of the documents.\u201d
Read more top takeaways from Blanche\u2019s hearing.<\/strong><\/a>
When Trump overturned the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s pause on ICE vehicle stops, there had been no prior discussions among senior leadership within DHS, ICE or the White House, a senior DHS official said. Many officials learned about Trump\u2019s reversal through his Truth Social post yesterday morning, the DHS official said, and were surprised by the move.
In his post, Trump called ICE vehicle stops one of the agency\u2019s \u201cmost important and effective crime fighting tools.\u201d But the reversal drew criticism from Maine Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins as they demanded answers about Monday\u2019s fatal shooting of Johan Sebasti\u00e1n Dur\u00e1n Guerrero.
More reactions to Trump\u2019s reversal.<\/strong><\/a>
Dur\u00e1n was repeatedly described by family, co-workers and neighbors as kind, hardworking and family-oriented. He was often seen in Biddeford, a small city of nearly 23,000 people, with his 3-year-old daughter and worked multiple jobs to provide for his family.
How the community is mourning Dur\u00e1n.<\/strong><\/a>
The friends of Nolan Wells \u2014 the 18-year-old who was found dead two days after a July 4 boating trip to Horn Island, Mississippi \u2014 called for help because their boat was taking on water before they returned to the mainland, according to new audio. At about 3 p.m. that day, the boat\u2019s operator requested help to be towed off the island, according to audio obtained by a public records request. The caller said, \u201cour bilge pump stopped working. We\u2019re going. We\u2019re sinking. Can you all please come?\u201d
A cause of death for Wells has not yet been determined, and his family has launched its own investigation.
What else the newly obtained records reveal.<\/strong><\/a>
The U.S. intensified its strikes targeting Iran<\/strong><\/a> early Thursday, hitting targets further north as American forces also fired into a ship it accused of trying to break its naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait before dawn and warned its attacks may escalate.
Meanwhile, a U.S. citizen held in Iran since 2024 has been released<\/strong><\/a>, Trump and her lawyer separately announced yesterday evening.
Jared Genser, a human rights lawyer who has been involved with other high-profile cases of U.S. citizens detained in Iran, named the released citizen as Dena Karari, one of his clients.
Genser said Karari had been \u201csubject to a coercive exit ban\u201d but \u201cnever physically detained.\u201d She was \u201cinterrogated dozens of times\u201d by Iran\u2019s Intelligence Ministry because of her work with a nonprofit organization called the Children of Mehr Foundation, Genser said.
With six minutes plus stoppage time remaining, England appeared on the verge of advancing to the country\u2019s first World Cup final in 60 years. But when the final whistle was blown, it was Argentina who was celebrating, thanks to two assists from 39-year-old superstar Lionel Messi. The 2-1 comeback victory against England sends Argentina to Sunday\u2019s World Cup final, where it will take on Spain. This will be the first time the Copa America winner takes on the reigning European champions in a World Cup final. Argentina could become the first repeat World Cup champion since Brazil in 1962.
How Argentina capitalized on England\u2019s risky defensive strategy.<\/strong><\/a>
The British government today urged FIFA, soccer\u2019s international governing body, to investigate Argentina\u2019s team after players posed with a banner<\/strong><\/a> claiming sovereignty over the contested Falkland Islands.
📩 Join the excitement:<\/strong> Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter<\/strong><\/a> for more in-depth World Cup coverage.
A growing number of companies say they are starting to place limits on employees\u2019 use of AI<\/strong><\/a> as questions swirl about the return on investment from a technology that is supposed to be saving money but whose costs have begun to spiral.
Amid reports of memory and chip shortages, end-user companies such as Uber and Walmart are now facing higher costs for the so-called tokens they submit to AI models to handle tasks. That has led those companies and others to set up new rules stating which employees can use certain AI applications, and how frequently they can tap them.
So far, experts say anecdotal instances of throttling back usage do not represent a reversal of the AI investment that has powered markets and economic growth higher for the past three years. But they say that those two forces have become exceedingly reliant on AI gains, and any significant disruption risks rippling through to U.S. households\u2019 balance sheets. \u2014 <\/em>Rob Wile<\/strong><\/em>, tech reporter<\/em>
NBC Selected editors test thousands of products each year to find the ones that are actually worth your money. This month, tech reporter Harry Rabinowitz compiled the best point-and-shoot cameras<\/strong><\/a> after putting nearly a dozen to the test. And updates editor Mili Godio rounded up the best prepared meal delivery services<\/strong><\/a> that\u2019ll save you time in the kitchen.
Sign up to The Selection<\/strong><\/em><\/a> newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.<\/em>
Thanks for reading today\u2019s Morning Rundown. Today\u2019s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you\u2019re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>
Elizabeth Robinson is a newsletter editor for NBC News, based in Los Angeles.
David Hickey is a platforms and social editor for NBC News.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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