Senate panel OKs nominee for attorney general post

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee approved William Barr’s nomination for attorney general along party lines Thursday, with Republicans praising his credentials and Democrats questioning how transparent he’ll be once special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation concludes.

The vote heads to the full Senate, where Barr is expected to be confirmed in a vote as soon as next week. Barr, who previously served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993, would succeed acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, who took over for the ousted Jeff Sessions .

As the country’s chief law enforcement officer, Barr would oversee the remaining work in Mueller’s investigation into potential coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign.

In Iran: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pardoned a “large number” of prisoners in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, state TV reported Thursday.

The report did not say how many were released, but previous reports suggested it would apply to some 50,000 people.

Saudi censure: Legislation to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its role in the conflict in Yemen was introduced Thursday by a bipartisan group of senators who said the Trump administration failed to hold a key ally to account. The bill would prohibit some arms sales to Saudi Arabia.