Live updates: Todd Blanche AG nomination delayed over Trump IRS deal; Iran vows retaliation after U.S. strikes

• Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the nomination of Todd Blanche for Attorney General after facing resistance from GOP senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. • The tension stems from a stalemate in the confirmation process, with Trump suggesting he could simply renominate Blanche at a later date.

• The United States has imposed new sanctions on entities located in China, India, Russia, and Iran due to alleged links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). • This escalation follows a 24-hour period of exchanged military strikes between the U.S. and Iran, ending several days of relative calm.

• A Senate motion to prevent the Trump administration from continuing hostilities against Iran failed in a narrow 49-50 vote. • Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul broke party lines to vote in favor of the motion.

• The Trump administration reiterated allegations on Thursday that China engaged in election interference by collecting millions of American voter registration files. • This claim follows a primetime address delivered by President Trump two weeks prior, signaling a continued escalation of tensions regarding foreign influence.

• Author Moyn argues that the prevalence of aging politicians in the United States is merely the "tip of the iceberg" of a larger systemic issue. • The piece suggests that the age of political leadership is a direct reflection of an aging American electorate.

• A new POLITICO poll reveals that a majority of MAGA supporters would continue to vote for a Republican candidate even when faced with various political scandals. • The data shows that MAGA Trump voters exhibit significantly higher levels of partisan loyalty compared to both general Republican voters and Democrats.

• A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck the Nashik region of Maharashtra, India, according to reports from The Times of India. • Separately, Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone and missile campaign, specifically targeting Russian oil facilities.

• EU member states have extended temporary rules until 2028 that allow digital platforms to voluntarily detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. • The extension serves as a precursor to a more permanent "chat control" law currently being debated by European lawmakers.

• Denmark has revived the EU "Chat Control" proposal, which seeks to scan private encrypted communications to detect child abuse material. • Nineteen EU member states currently support the plan, though previous attempts by Belgium and Poland to limit scanning to specific media or make it voluntary failed to reach a consensus.

• The U.S. launched new military strikes against Iran following an attack on American forces that occurred on Tuesday. • In Poland, the main opposition party is shifting further right and experiencing internal ideological conflicts regarding its stance on the EU ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.

• The European Union is implementing new salary transparency rules to combat a gender pay gap where women earn an average of 11.1% less per hour than men. • Several major economies, including Germany, France, Spain, Austria, and the Netherlands, have missed the deadline to put implementing legislation into force.