Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Don’t miss tonight’s team coverage on the Smith hearing: “Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith on Thursday defended his investigations of Donald Trump at a public congressional hearing in which he insisted that he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought.”
* In Minnesota: “A law firm representing the family of Renee Good, the 37-year-old shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, released preliminary findings from an independent autopsy commissioned by her family. The report, released by the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin, found that Good suffered ‘three clear gunshot wound paths,’ including one to her head.”
* In Tehran: “The Iranian government said on Wednesday that it had successfully suppressed antigovernment protests that had roiled the country for weeks, after a crackdown that killed thousands. ‘The sedition is over now,’ said Mohammad Movahedi, Iran’s prosecutor general, according to the judiciary’s Mizan News agency.”
* A stunning memo: “Federal immigration officers are asserting sweeping power to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches.”
* The administration’s Havana plan needs work: “Emboldened by the U.S. ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration is searching for Cuban government insiders who can help cut a deal to push out the Communist regime by the end of the year, people familiar with the matter said.”
* No one will benefit from this: “Moderna does not plan to invest in new late-stage vaccine trials because of growing opposition to immunizations from U.S. officials, CEO Stephane Bancel said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Thursday.” * Maybe he should start listening to his doctors more? “President Donald Trump appeared in Davos on Thursday with a prominent bruise on the back of his left hand, raising questions about how the injury occurred amid increasing scrutiny of his overall health. The discoloration — a deep purple, blue and red mark — was visible as Trump addressed world leaders at a signing ceremony for the newly formed Board of Peace, an advisory group established to oversee Gaza as part of a fragile ceasefire aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war.” * It’s tough to be optimistic about the looming mess when international visitors start arriving for the World Cup and the Olympics: “San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was momentarily detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday because of a minor paperwork issue, Giants general manager Zack Minasian said. Lee, 26, was traveling from Seoul, South Korea, and either misplaced or forgot part of his travel packet, Minasian said. The matter was handled, and Lee was allowed to enter lawfully.” See you tomorrow.
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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