Today’s edition of quick hits.
* On violence in Iran, there’s no reason to take Trump’s dubious claims at face value: “President Donald Trump made a vague statement that he’s been told ‘on good authority’ that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, even as Tehran has indicated fast trials and executions ahead in its crackdown on protesters.”
* Another regressive step: “The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.”
* In related news: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday her agency is revoking Temporary Protected Status from Somali migrants, another move by the Trump administration to escalate its clash with Minnesota, home to the nation’s largest Somali population.”
* In Minnesota: “Renee Good’s family is accusing federal immigration officers of killing the Minneapolis mother as she attempted to follow agents’ instructions, and said Wednesday they have hired the same law firm that represented George Floyd ’s family to press for answers and accountability.”
* Climate crisis: “The world is rapidly closing in on the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit that serves as a threshold for ever more dangerous climate change, European scientists have warned. Average global temperatures are now around 1.4C higher than during the pre-industrial era, according to data released Wednesday by the European Union’s Copernicus planetary observation service. The scientists also found that 2025 was the third-hottest year on record.” * They’re still working on showerheads? “The Republican-controlled House on Tuesday advanced legislation aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump’s long-running desire to ‘make showers great again’ by voting to loosen federal efficiency standards for showerheads.” * I wonder what the reaction would’ve been if Joe Biden had given an auto plant worker the one-finger salute: “The White House said it was ‘appropriate’ for President Donald Trump to flip off and curse at a Ford plant worker in Michigan after the worker shouted ‘pedophile protector’ at 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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