Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The latest mass shooting in Louisiana: “Gunfire erupted at a Louisiana shopping mall on Thursday, leaving 10 people injured, authorities said, in the latest Bayou State mass shooting.”
* Diplomatic efforts aren’t exactly progressing: “President Donald Trump told MS NOW on Thursday morning that Iran has ‘no idea who their leader is’ at this moment, an assessment experts on Iran have said is incorrect.”
* In related news: “Faith Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, told CNBC this morning that the world is ‘facing the biggest energy security threat in history’ as a result of the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”
* It was the “tripled up level” phrasing that made this especially absurd: “Trump said he has ordered the U.S. Navy to ‘shoot and kill any boat’ that is laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital maritime shipping route that has become central to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. ‘There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level!’ Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social this morning.”
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* Israel-Lebanon peace talks: “The White House will host the second round of peace talks between Israel and Lebanon later today, a U.S. official told MS NOW. Trump is expected to welcome both representatives upon their arrival, the official said. The talks come as the 10-day ceasefire is set to expire in the coming days. The initial round of direct talks took place last week at the U.S. State Department.”
* On Capitol Hill, while most Americans were asleep: “The Senate adopted a GOP-written budget resolution early Thursday morning that marks a critical first step toward providing roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. After a marathon ‘vote-a-rama’ on amendments that stretched through the night, the Senate voted 50-48 for a budget blueprint laying the groundwork to pass a filibuster-proof budget reconciliation bill for immigration enforcement funding. That bill could bypass Democratic opposition and help end a record-breaking partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.”
* In related news: “Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) broke ranks Thursday morning and voted against a budget resolution that could set the stage for ending the two-month shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.”
* The list of failed Trump nominees quietly grows longer: “President Trump’s long-stalled pick to lead a key U.S. cybersecurity agency, Sean Plankey, withdrew his name from Senate consideration on Wednesday, saying it had become clear to him that lawmakers would not confirm him.”
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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