Today’s edition of quick hits.
* A revised total: “Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed to MS NOW that about 140 U.S. service members have been wounded since the start of the U.S. operation in Iran 10 days ago. ‘The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,’ Parnell said. He added that eight U.S. service members remain severely injured and are receiving medical treatment.”
* An elusive price tag: “Senators on the Armed Services Committee just received a briefing at the U.S. Capitol about the U.S. military offensive against Iran. As the war with Iran enters its 11th day, lawmakers look to understand how much it costs — but get no answers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told reporters that briefers did not provide a cost estimate.”
* Why do you suppose we learned about this conversation from the Kremlin, instead of the White House?: “President Trump spoke to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for about an hour on Monday about the Middle East, the conflict in Ukraine and the global energy market, a foreign policy adviser to the Russian president told journalists. The aide, Yuri Ushakov, said that Trump initiated the call and that both leaders agreed that the calls should occur on a “regular basis.” The last call between the two leaders took place in October.”
* A case worth watching: “Smartmatic, a voting technology company that is suing Fox News and supporters of President Trump for defamation, asserted in court papers on Tuesday that a federal indictment the administration had leveled against it amounted to a politically motivated counterattack.”
* This one is shaping up to be an interesting story: “The White House fired a Republican member of the National Transportation Safety Board following reports of him drinking on the job, among other alleged misconduct. J. Todd Inman, who frequently represented the organization during news conferences after the deadly American Airlines crash in D.C. last year, called the firing a ‘political hit job’ in a statement to The Washington Post.”
* A controversial settlement: “Live Nation has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice in its high-stakes antitrust case less than a week after the trial began, according to three people familiar with the matter.” * Speaking of controversial deals, remember the Halkbank story I covered in 2020? It’s coming to an end: “The Trump administration has reached a tentative deal to drop criminal charges against a Turkish bank over whether it had done business with Iranian entities, saying it deserved leniency because of Turkey’s help in negotiating the release of hostages from the Hamas attack in Israel in October 2023.” * Is it me, or is this weird? “The hottest and most exclusive MAGA status symbol is a pair of leather oxfords. Prefer a wingtip, loafer or monk strap? Black or brown? President Trump’s got you. Trump has been gifting footwear to agency heads, lawmakers, White House advisers and VIPs. ‘Did you get the shoes?’ he asks at cabinet meetings.” 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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