🎧 Democrats oppose Blanche's nomination, NPR's Ryan Lucas tells Up First. With Republicans holding a razor-thin Senate majority, a handful of GOP defections could be enough to block his confirmation. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. ET. Watch it live here.

➡️ Survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, including Dani Bensky, are speaking out against Blanche’s nomination. Bensky is expected to testify before the committee.

➡️ Also today, Dr. Erica Schwartz, Trump's latest nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is scheduled to appear before a Senate committee this morning to answer questions about her vision and qualifications for the role. 

🎧 Retired military officials and analysts tell NPR’s Tom Bowman that recent U.S. strikes have not done enough to reduce Iran’s threat to commercial shipping. They say it could take weeks of more intensive bombing, and the U.S. may also need to escort commercial vessels through the Strait.

🎧  Can the U.S. control the Strait, and is that even the administration’s objective? NPR’s A Martinez asks retired Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan, a former commander of the Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East. 

🎧 Around half of Department of Homeland Security field officers currently wear body cameras. The agency attributes this shortfall to Democratic lawmakers and the impact of partial government shutdowns, NPR’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán says. DHS says all agents will be equipped with body cameras within the next 60 days. Meanwhile, advocates, politicians and community members continue to demand independent investigations into the two shootings.