Trump and Republican senators fight over a century-old tradition for judicial nominees

Trump and Republican senators fight over a century-old tradition for judicial nominees

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the Senate’s century-old tradition of allowing home state senators to sign off on some federal judge and U.S. attorney nominees is “old and outdated.” Republican senators disagree.

Trump has been complaining about what’s called the blue slip process for weeks and has pushed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to abandon the practice. But the veteran senator hasn’t budged. On Monday, Trump said he may sue, arguing that he can only get “weak” judges approved in states that have at least one Democratic senator.

“This is based on an old custom. It’s not based on a law. And I think it’s unconstitutional,” Trump told reporters. “And I’ll probably be filing a suit on that pretty soon.”

A look at the blue slip process and why Republicans are holding on to it, for now:

Trump faces rare pushback from Republicans

It’s unclear who Trump would sue or how such a lawsuit would work since the Senate sets its own rules. And Senate Republicans have been unbowed, arguing that they used the process to their own benefit when Democrat Joe Biden was president. They say they will want the practice to be in place if they are in the minority again.

Republicans also note that judges who don’t receive approval from their home state senators are unlikely to have enough votes for confirmation, anyway.

“In Biden admin Republicans kept 30 LIBERALS OFF BENCH THAT PRES TRUMP CAN NOW FILL W CONSERVATIVES,” Grassley posted on X shortly after Trump’s remarks on Monday.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican member of the judiciary committee, posted on X that getting rid of the blue slip “is a terrible, short-sighted ploy that paves the path for Democrats to ram through extremist liberal judges in red states over the long-term.”

Republicans “shouldn’t fall for it,” Tillis wrote.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has also defended blue slips, saying in the past that he had used the process himself and worked with the Biden administration when there was a judicial vacancy in South Dakota. “I don’t sense any rush to change it,” Thune said.

It’s a longstanding practice, though it’s evolved

The blue slip is a blue-colored form that is submitted to the two home state senators after the president nominates someone to become a district judge or U.S. attorney, among other federal positions that are contained within one state.

The home state senators can individually return the slips with a positive or negative response. If there is a negative response, or if the form is not returned, the chairman of the judiciary panel can choose not to move forward.

Democrats have opposed several of Trump’s nominees this year, including Alina Habba, a nominee for U.S. attorney in New Jersey, and two prosecutors nominated in New York who have been blocked by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.

The blue slip tradition has been in place since at least 1918, according to the Congressional Research Service. But like many Senate traditions, it has evolved over the years to become more partisan. Until 2017, at the beginning of Trump’s first term, blue slips were also honored for nominees to the circuit court, which oversee multiple states. But the Republican-led judiciary panel, also led then by Grassley, did away with that tradition.

In the past, the White House has often worked with home state senators as they decide who to nominate. But Trump and Democrats have shown little interest in working with each other.

Trump is growing frustrated

Trump has focused his ire on Grassley, a longtime ally who is the senior-most Senate Republican. In a July post on social media, Trump called on Grassley to have the “courage” to stop honoring the blue slips.

“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the ‘Blue Slip’ problem,” Trump posted.

Grassley responded by defending the practice, and he said he was “offended by what the president said, and I’m disappointed that it would result in personal insults.”

Trump revived his complaints this week, culminating with the threat to sue. On Sunday, he posted that “I have a Consultational Right to appoint Judges and U.S. Attorneys, but that RIGHT has been completely taken away from me in States that have just one Democrat United States Senator.”

It’s all part of a broader nominations fight

Even as Republicans have defied Trump on blue slips, they have agreed with him that the nominations process needs to move faster — especially as Democrats have slowed votes on all of his nominees.

Trump and Republicans pressured Senate Democrats to lift some of their holds on nominees ahead of the traditional August recess, threatening to force them to remain in session all month. But the effort was unsuccessful, and the Senate left town anyway, with Trump posting on social media that Schumer can “GO TO HELL!”

After that standoff, Thune said the chamber will consider in the fall Senate rule changes that would make it harder for Democrats to block or slow votes on nominations.

“I think that the last six months have demonstrated that this process, nominations, is broken,” Thune said. “And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about that.”

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged

By JOCELYN NOVECK and DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

It’s a love story and, baby, she said yes: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged, they announced Tuesday.

In a five-photo joint post on Instagram, the superstar singer and football player revealed their engagement, the fairytale culmination of a courtship that for two years has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world, but especially Swifties, the pop star’s enormous and ardent fan base.

“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” the caption read, accompanied by an emoji of a dynamite stick.

Kelce was a famous football player when they met — a star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and a Super Bowl champion — but Swift’s unique level of fame catapulted him into a different orbit entirely. Their relationship was documented in countless shots of Swift celebrating at Chiefs games and fan videos of Kelce dancing along at Swift’s Eras concert tour as it traveled the globe.

There were those who speculated, with no evidence, that the relationship was not genuine but a cynical ploy for more fame, while some even theorized it was a plot to influence the U.S. elections. In the end, those voices were quieted by a happy couple who simply looked in love — now with an engagement ring rivaling the size of Kelce’s three Super Bowl rings.

It’s unclear when and where the two got engaged. A representative for Swift did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.

It’s been just two weeks since Swift — and Kelce — last ignited a media frenzy, with the announcement of a new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Kelce and his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, assisted Swift with the rollout, hosting her on their typically football-oriented podcast, “New Heights.” During the episode, she likened her career to her now-fiance’s, saying their jobs were “to entertain people for three hours in NFL stadiums.”

When Jason Kelce asked his brother and Swift, sitting side-by-side, how they handled the discourse around their relationship, Swift said they just didn’t.

“We don’t, really. I don’t see a lot of things,” she said. “My name can be in the actual headline, and it’s none of my business.”

The news broke in the middle of the Kansas City Chiefs’ media availability, though after head coach Andy Reid had departed. That left Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna to field questions about his teammate’s engagement.

“Man, it’s incredible. I was caught off guard but you know, great for them,” Danna said, a few minutes after the news raced across social media. “But you know, great for them. That’s a blessing. Any time you find that type of joy, blessing, love — that’s a beautiful thing.”

Like many of the Chiefs, Danna has hung out with Swift and Kelce at a New Year’s party and after most of their home games.

“I’ll think of a good little engagement gift,” Danna said. “Maybe some Pop-Tarts back to her. It won’t be homemade.”

The NFL, which has gained untold numbers of fans since the relationship became public, posted the news on X with their congratulations — then quickly deleted it and reposted it when they realized they tagged the wrong Swift account.

“Two of the most genuine people meet & fall in love. Just so happy for these two,” Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, said on Instagram. Brittany Mahomes and Swift have frequently shared a suite for games at Arrowhead Stadium. Meanwhile the Cleveland Guardians, the baseball team Kelce grew up rooting for, joked online: “Thanks a lot, Taylor Swift. Now no one cares that next year’s schedule is out.”

Kelce and Swift’s relationship featured prominently in the just-released six-part ESPN documentary “The Kingdom,” which chronicles the franchise’s ultimately foiled pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl title last season. Kelce was joined by his parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, on the red carpet last Sunday for the premiere at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri.

“She’s very good for him. I don’t hesitate in saying that,” Ed Kelce said of his future daughter-in-law. “They are two people that truly deserve each other.”

___

Noveck reported from New York and Skretta from Kansas City, Missouri.

Cracker Barrel says it “could’ve done a better job” with release of new logo that angered some fans

Cracker Barrel says it “could’ve done a better job” with release of new logo that angered some fans

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer

Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo but apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.

“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices,” the company said Monday in a statement on its website. “You’ve also shown us that we could have done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”

Cracker Barrel took heat last week when it announced a simplified logo featuring only the chain’s name. Gone was the picture of an older man in overalls leaning against a barrel. The words “Old Country Store” were also removed.

The change was part of a wider rebrand, which has seen Cracker Barrel update its cluttered, antique-filled restaurants with lighter paint and modern furniture.

Many on social media, including Donald Trump Jr., criticized the new logo, with some threatening to boycott unless it was changed back. Sensing an opening, the rival chain Steak n’ Shake called the new logo “a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend seekers.”

“Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO wants to just scrape it all away,” Steak n’ Shake said in a statement on X.

Cracker Barrel shares have dropped more than 10% since the new logo was introduced on Aug. 18.

On Monday, the Lebanon, Tennessee-based company emphasized that many things about Cracker Barrel won’t change, including the rocking chairs on its front porches and vintage Americana and antiques scattered throughout its restaurants.

Cracker Barrel also said it will continue to honor Uncle Herschel — the older man in the former logo, who represents the uncle of Cracker Barrel’s founder — on its menu and on items sold in its stores.

But Cracker Barrel said it also wants to make sure that the business stays fresh and attracts a new generation of customers.

“That means showing up on new platforms and in new ways, but always with our heritage at the heart,” the company said in a statement.

The company said it will also keep testing, learning and listening to its employees and customers.

Cracker Barrel shares fell less than 1% to close at $54.26 per share Monday.

Peach Crisp

Peach Crisp

Soak up the end of peach season and embrace the fall coziness! This recipe makes for the perfect end-of-summer dessert.

Ingredients

  • 6–8 ripe peaches (~ 6 cups, peeled & sliced)
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter (cold, cut into cubes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

2. Prep filling
In a large bowl, gently combine peaches with sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch and cinnamon. Then, spread the mixture evenly in a greased 9×9 baking dish.

3. Prep topping
In another bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Incorporate the butter using your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Bake
Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the filling mixture and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the peach juice is bubbling.

5. Serve it hot
Enjoy right away for a cozy, end-of-summer dessert! Try it with vanilla ice cream or toppings of your choice.

August 26th 2025

August 26th 2025

Thought of the Day

August 26th 2024
Photo by Getty Images

For every problem, there is an opportunity. People will pay you to solve their problems.

Hurricane Erin leaves rough seas with 2 swimmers dead and a search underway for a missing boater

Hurricane Erin leaves rough seas with 2 swimmers dead and a search underway for a missing boater

SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) — Hurricane Erin never made landfall but left behind rough ocean conditions along the U.S. East Coast. At least two people died after they had been swimming in the heavy current, and a search continued Monday for a man who was missing after his boat capsized.

Beaches were beginning to reopen Friday after Erin, twice the size of an average hurricane, had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone far from land, but was still capable of causing life-threatening surf and rip currents, the National Hurricane Center in Miami had said. Erin’s outer bands had already brushed North Carolina. It caused no widespread damage.

In Massachusetts, a team of police and U.S. Coast Guard members were resuming their search Monday for a man in his 50s who was missing after a boat capsized off of Salisbury Beach on Saturday. The other person in the boat was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Despite challenging weather and sea conditions including 6- to 8-foot swells, the team performed sonar scans, dives, surface and aerial patrols on Sunday, the state police said in a news release. In Maine, a man was rescued Saturday after his sailboat capsized in high surf in York Harbor.

In New Hampshire, authorities are investigating the death of a 17-year-old boy who had been swimming with family members off of Hampton Beach on Sunday night.

Witnesses said he was pulled away by a strong ocean current and his father unsuccessfully tried to rescue him. Lifeguards brought both to shore and began livesaving efforts on the teen, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The father was treated there.

A man drowned Saturday after being caught in a strong rip current off the New York coast, at Sailors Haven in the Fire Island Natoinal Seashore in Suffolk County, authorities said. Ishmoile Mohammed, 59, was visiting from South Carolina.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Juliette formed Monday in the Pacific Ocean hundreds of miles from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula as Tropical Storm Fernand churned in the Atlantic Ocean.

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for either storm, the hurricane center said.

Juliette posed no immediate threat to land, forecasters said. The storm was about 450 miles (724 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. It had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph (72 kph).

It was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (21 kph). Some strengthening was forecast through Tuesday, with weakening starting Wednesday.

In the Atlantic basin, Fernand formed Saturday but was also far from land and forecast to remain over open ocean waters. It was about 425 miles (684 kilometers) east-northeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (97 kph) and heading north-northeast at 13 mph (21 kph).

The storm was expected to turn more to the northeast as it moves away from Bermuda and weaken starting Monday night.

Some FEMA staff call out Trump cuts in public letter of dissent

Some FEMA staff call out Trump cuts in public letter of dissent

By GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Associated Press

More than 180 current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency published a letter Monday warning that debilitating cuts to the agency charged with handling federal disaster response risks a catastrophe like the one seen after Hurricane Katrina.

“Our shared commitment to our country, our oaths of office, and our mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters compel us to warn Congress and the American people of the cascading effects of decisions made by the current administration,” the letter states.

The statement in it is noteworthy not only for its content but for its overall existence; a fierce approach toward critics by the Trump administration has caused many in the federal government to hesitate before locking heads with the White House.

The letter coincides with the 20th anniversary week of Hurricane Katrina, when more than 1,800 people died and profound failures in the federal response prompted Congress to pass the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.

The letter warns that poor management and eroded capacity at FEMA could undue progress made to improve the agency through that law.

“Two decades later, FEMA is enacting processes and leadership structures that echo the conditions PKEMRA was designed to prevent,” it states.

It comes amid uncertainty for FEMA

The letter is addressed to the FEMA Review Council, a 12-person group of elected officials, emergency managers and other officials from mostly Republican states that President Donald Trump appointed to suggest reforms to an agency he has repeatedly threatened to eliminate.

It comes after months of upheaval at FEMA. One-third of the agency’s full-time workforce has left or been fired, including many high-level staff. The agency’s acting chief, Cameron Hamilton, was fired in May and replaced by another acting head, David Richardson. Neither has prior emergency management experience.

FEMA’s response to the July Texas floods that killed at least 136 people came under criticism after reports that survivor calls to FEMA went unanswered and Urban Search and Rescue teams deployed late because of a policy by which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must personally approve expenditures above $100,000.

The letter contains six “statements of opposition” to current policies at FEMA, including the expenditure approval policy, which the signatories say reduces FEMA’s ability to perform its missions.

It also critiques the DHS decision to reassign some FEMA employees to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the failure to appoint a qualified FEMA administrator as stipulated by law, and cuts to mitigation programs, preparedness training and FEMA workforce.

Letter seeks to establish FEMA as a cabinet-level agency

The letter was also sent to multiple Congressional committees and calls on lawmakers to establish FEMA as a cabinet-level independent agency in the executive branch. The bipartisan Fixing Emergency Management for Americans, or FEMA Act, introduced in the House last month, proposes the same.

Thirty five signatories included their names. The 141 anonymous signatories “choose not to identify themselves due to the culture of fear and suppression cultivated by this administration,” according to the letter.

Employees at other agencies including the National Institutes of Health and Environmental Protection Agency have issued similar statements. About 140 EPA staff members at the were placed on administrative leave for signing an opposition letter.

The FEMA Review Council will meet for the third time this week on Thursday.

UNC’s Belichick tells players that Hulu will feature Tar Heels program in a show this fall

UNC’s Belichick tells players that Hulu will feature Tar Heels program in a show this fall

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina will get an in-season close-up for its first season under coach Bill Belichick.

In a social media video posted by the program Sunday, Belichick told the players that streaming provider Hulu will feature the Tar Heels in what he described as a season-long show “that will showcase our football program.”

“It’ll show our commitment to winning,” Belichick told players. “It’ll show our commitment to the team. and that’s our priority.”

Belichick, who coached the NFL’s New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, is a first-time college coach. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football.

Dr Pepper buys Peet’s for $18 billion and will split into separate coffee and cold drink sellers

Dr Pepper buys Peet’s for $18 billion and will split into separate coffee and cold drink sellers

NEW YORK (AP) — Keurig Dr Pepper will buy the owner of Peet’s Coffee in an $18 billion (15.7 billion euro) deal, then break itself in two, with one company selling coffee and the other selling cold beverages like Snapple, Dr Pepper, 7UP and energy drinks.

The agreement anounced Monday will essentially unwind the 2018 merger of Keurig and Dr. Pepper and it arrives at a time when consumers are pulling back and the trade wars under President Donald Trump threaten to send coffee prices soaring.

Trump imposed a 50% tariff this summer on most imports from Brazil — the world’s leading coffee producer — for its investigation of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.

Yet Keurig Dr Pepper sees both coffee and cold beverages as areas of growth that would be better navigated by independently operating companies. CEO Tim Cofer called it a “transformational moment” for the sector.

“By creating two sharply focused beverage companies with attractive and tailored growth propositions and capital allocation strategies, we are poised to generate significant shareholder value in both the near and long term,” Cofer write in prepared remarks.

But large chains like Starbucks are suffering. Same-store sales, a key barometer of a retailer’s health, has fallen for six straight quarters at the Seattle coffee giant and its shares have tumbled 23% since early March.

Dr Pepper Keurig is offsetting some declines with higher prices. In its last quarter, the company reported a 0.2% decline in coffee sales.

For Keurig Dr Pepper, the soon-to-be separated coffee business will have about $16 billion in combined sales and the beverage business about $11 billion, the companies said.

The companies expect to save about $400 million over three years because of the merger.

The company that Keurig Dr Peppper is buying, Peet’s parent JDE Peet’s based in Amsterdam, also owns the brands L’OR, Jacobs, Douwe Egberts, Kenco, Pilao, OldTown, Super and Moccona.

Once the two companies are separated, Cofer will become CEO of the cold beverage business, which will be based in Frisco, Texas. Keurig Dr Pepper’s chief financial officer, Sudhanshu Priyadarshi, will lead the coffee business, which will be located in Burlington, Mass. Its international headquarters is in Amsterdam.

Shares of Keurig Dr Pepper slumped 9% before the opening bell Monday.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Try this zucchini bread recipe for a healthy yet tasty snack or start to your day! It’s great to have on hand for those mornings you don’t feel like cooking but you want something warm and homemade.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups zucchini, shredded
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts OR chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven and prep baking dishes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f and grease 2 8×4 inch loaf pans, then lightly line with flour.

2. Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together.

3. Mix wet ingredients
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla together until combined. Then, add the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Then, add the shredded zucchini and walnuts or chocolate chips if you’d like.

4. Bake
Pour the mixture evenly into the loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the bread is golden brown on top.

5. Serve and enjoy
Let the bread cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack, then serve and enjoy.

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