Today’s edition of quick hits.
* One of the initial observations is that there are a lot of redactions in these documents: “The Justice Department on Friday released a trove of documents on its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, several hours ahead of the midnight deadline imposed by Congress.”
* The apparent resolution of a massive search: “A person of interest in the Brown University mass shooting was found dead Thursday night with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to two law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the incident.”
* In related news: “The Trump administration has suspended the green-card lottery program used by the suspect in a mass shooting at Brown University and in the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.”
* In Wisconsin: “A federal jury in Wisconsin found Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of felony obstruction and not guilty of concealing a person from arrest in a high-profile trial stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts, The New York Times reported Thursday.”
* Apparently, in some countries, in the wake of deadly mass shootings, officials take action: “The Australian government will launch a gun buyback program to take hundreds of thousands of firearms off the streets, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday, following a shooting rampage at a Jewish holiday festival that killed 15 people.” * Whether this is the administration’s first or last step on the issue remains to be seen: “President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to downgrade cannabis from the most restrictive category of drugs, easing some limitations and allowing for more research. The move, which does not decriminalize marijuana, also authorizes a pilot program to reimburse Medicare patients for products made with CBD, a popular compound of cannabis that is not psychoactive.” * If the White House is hoping to avoid “Hunger Games” comparisons, it’s going to be disappointed: “A man and woman from each state and territory summoned to the nation’s capital to battle it out before a national audience. If that sounds more like the plot of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian book series ‘The Hunger Games,’ than a U.S. government-sanctioned event, you’re not alone. President Donald Trump said this week that a sporting event called the ‘Patriot Games’ is among those in the works for the White House’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence next year.” Have a safe weekend.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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