Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In the Strait of Hormuz: “The Iranian foreign minister said this morning that the Strait of Hormuz has been reopened for passage in line with the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which went into effect yesterday. President Donald Trump followed the announcement with a post on Truth Social saying the U.S. blockade of Iran’s key ports remains in effect.”
* In Lebanon: “An Israeli strike in the area of Kounine in central Lebanon hit a car and a motorcycle, killing one person and wounding three, including a Syrian citizen, Lebanon’s health ministry said Friday. It was the first airstrike and first fatality reported since a 10-day truce between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah took effect overnight.”
* Since he has made similar boasts before, it’s tough to know whether to believe comments like these: “Trump told Axios today that he expects a deal with Iran ‘in the next day or two.’ U.S. and Iranian negotiators are expected to meet this weekend in Islamabad, though that has not yet been confirmed, where Trump said he believes the two sides will come to an agreement.”
* The administration sure does lose a lot of these cases: “A federal judge on Friday rejected the U.S. Department of Justice’s bid to force Rhode Island to turn over non-public data on nearly 750,000 registered voters so the Trump administration could probe ‘election integrity’ in the Democratic-led state.” The judge in the case went on to accuse the Justice Department of trying to conduct a “fishing expedition.”
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* A change at the top at ICE: “Todd Lyons, the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is resigning from the agency later this spring, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to MS NOW. He will remain in his role until May 31. The circumstances surrounding his departure were not immediately clear, and officials have not publicly identified his replacement.”
* Given the circumstances, it’s hard not to see this canceled contract as retaliatory: “Amid the White House’s ongoing political attacks on Pope Leo XIV after he rebuked the president’s deadly and economically destructive war with Iran, the administration has canceled an $11 million contract it had with Catholic Charities, a faith-based nonprofit that helps unaccompanied migrant children.”
* One of several investigations Swalwell is now facing: “The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned Monday amid multiple sexual assault allegations, a source familiar with the matter told MS NOW.”
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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