It’s Thursday, Dip Fam,
Here’s what’s making headlines today: wildfire smoke blankets air quality across the Midwest and Northeast, Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche faces a tense Senate hearing, and more.
Today’s estimated reading time is 3 minutes and 54 seconds.
- The Daily Dip Editor
CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S SHOW AD-FREE BELOW
Nostalgia Nerd
On this day in 1951, which famous novel about teenage rebellion was published, becoming a classic of American literature? (answer revealed below!)
(hint: red hat)
Before We Dip In (TL;DR)
In today’s issue:
Wildfire smoke drifts into Northeast & Midwest. 🌍
Blanche grilled on Epstein files & Jan. 6. 🏛️
ICE pauses traffic stops after Florida death. ⚖️
Plus, take today’s poll and check out the Nostalgia Nerd quiz answer down below!
COMIC DIP
“Back in my day, you could just buy a car and it let you drive it!”…“Lets get you back inside, Jerry”
Congrats to Boomdoomsquad for our winning caption! To enter our comic caption contest and get a shoutout in The Daily Dip be sure to join our Daily Dip Community.
From games to printers, cars to home appliances, seems like all’s fair game in the subscription business these days!
ENVIRONMENT
🌍 Canada, Minnesota Wildfires Send Hazardous Smoke Toward Northeast
Hundreds of wildfires across Ontario and northern Minnesota have forced evacuations, shut down roads and parks like the Boundary Waters, and destroyed one community, prompting Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to declare a peacetime emergency and mobilize the National Guard.
The fires are also sending smoke hundreds of miles into the Midwest and Northeast, triggering air quality alerts from Minnesota to New York and Pennsylvania, putting tens of millions at risk through week’s end.
The tradeoff: Ontario meteorologists are telling residents under a simultaneous heat advisory to prioritize cooling if they have to choose. New York officials say this isn’t a repeat of 2023’s orange-sky crisis, though sensitive groups could still see unhealthy conditions.
POLITICS
🏛️ Todd Blanche Faces Senate Grilling Over Epstein Files, Jan. 6
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified at his Senate confirmation hearing, facing questions about DOJ independence after The New York Times reported he took over the department’s “weaponization working group” from Ed Martin.
Democrats pressed him on the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files, including redactions that left in some victims’ names, and on Trump’s pardons for every person convicted in the Jan. 6 attack, more than 200 of whom assaulted police.
The exchange: Blanche apologized for the Epstein file oversights but wouldn’t commit to meeting the 10 victims present, later contradicting himself on whether he’s even allowed to. He framed the Jan. 6 pardons as a matter of circumstance rather than an achievement, despite past comments crediting Trump’s full slate of pardons.
Dipper Poll
:📈 Today’s Poll: DOJ Doubts
Todd Blanche faced repeated questions at his Senate confirmation hearing about whether he can run the DOJ independently of the White House. The confirmation hearing covered a range of issues related to the Justice Department’s leadership, priorities, and independence.
Do you think Todd Blanche can serve as an independent Attorney General?
LAW & ORDER
⚖️ ICE Pauses Non-Urgent Traffic Stops After Deadly Florida Encounter
A man died in an ICE-related incident this week, struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while fleeing a car during an ICE operation in St. Augustine, Florida, adding to recent fatal shootings in Texas and Maine where neither victim was ICE’s target.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ordered a pause on non-urgent ICE traffic stops so leadership can review the incidents, though Trump posted hours later calling the stops one of ICE’s most important tools.
The backdrop: DHS mandated body cameras for every ICE team, saying it’s needed to counter “smears” from media and “sanctuary politicians.” The incidents sparked protests in Texas and Maine, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani called this week for ICE to be abolished.
Fun Facts
❄️ Nature: Snowflakes begin forming around tiny particles of dust. Every beautiful winter wonderland starts with a speck of dirt.
😂 Psychology: Laughing is contagious because your brain automatically mirrors other people’s emotions. Sometimes you’re laughing before you’ve even heard the joke.
🦖 Dinosaurs: The name Velociraptor means “swift thief.”
Hollywood kept the speed but added about three feet of height.
🤯WTF: Crickets hear with their knees. Evolution occasionally gets creative with anatomy.
TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWER:
The Catcher in the Rye
On July 16, 1951, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was published. The novel follows teenager Holden Caulfield as he navigates grief, identity, and growing up, becoming one of the most widely read and debated books in American schools.
Poll Results From July 15, 2026
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Show Notes
Looking for more specific details on each story? Click here for the full show notes for yesterday’s PDS episode.
Over and Out...
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