The Senate confirmed Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan overnight Friday, despite vocal opposition from progressives and activists over Emanuel’s cover-up of the police killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald while he was mayor of Chicago in 2014. Rahm Emanuel was among 41 ambassadors and nine federal district court judges confirmed early Saturday morning, after months of obstruction led by Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz held up the process until the Senate agreed to vote on his bill imposing sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which runs from Russia to Germany. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday lawmakers would debate and vote on the sanctions by mid-January.