Safari 16 bug — will not start with blank page

Hey DesignThinking,

We'd recommend reviewing the steps in this article as it addresses issue with Safari not opening to the expected page: Set Safari to always open to the same webpage - Apple Support

"Set Safari preferences

1. Open Safari, then choose Safari > Preferences and click General. Adjust these settings:
2. Safari opens with: Choose any setting except "All windows from last session." If you don't see this menu, make sure that you followed the instructions in the previous section.
3. New windows open with: Choose Homepage.
4. Homepage: Enter the URL of the page that you want Safari to display when it opens. Or click Set to Current Page to use the URL of the page that's currently active.
5. If Safari appears to be stuck on an unexpected homepage
6. If Safari remains on a homepage or search engine that you don't want, despite following the steps above, a phishing site may have tricked you into installing unknown or suspicious software. 
7. If you think that you might have malware or adware on your Mac, update to the latest version of macOS. If your Mac is already running the latest version, restart it. macOS includes a built-in tool that removes known malware when you restart your Mac.
8. If the homepage still appears stuck, check for and remove any unknown or suspicious apps, browser extensions, or system configuration files, and learn how to manage app security settings on your Mac. 
9. To remove apps, open the Applications folder on your Mac, then drag any suspicious apps to the Trash. Choose Finder > Empty Trash.
10. To remove browser extensions, open Safari preferences, then click Extensions. Select any suspicious extensions, and click the Uninstall button.
11. To remove system configuration profiles,* choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Profiles. Look for any profiles that you don’t recognize or that seem suspicious. The profile may or may not seem related to the homepage you want to change. Click the suspicious profile to select it, then click the Remove button (-) below the list of profiles. Click Remove to confirm. Restart your Mac, then try changing your homepage in Safari preferences again."

Thanks!