Today’s edition of quick hits.
* An audacious proposal: “The Trump administration has offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, according to a person briefed on the contours of the proposal, even as the U.S. military is preparing to call up at least 1,000 more troops to supplement some 50,000 troops already in the region.”
* A predictable response: “Iran has rejected Trump’s ceasefire proposal, according to Iranian state TV and a diplomatic source stationed in Iran who spoke to MS NOW on the condition of anonymity.”
* In related news: “Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said today there are no talks being held with the U.S., Reuters reported. That’s in contrast to what White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed at the briefing earlier, where she claimed U.S. officials have ‘been engaged over the last three days in productive conversations.’”
* A major setback for tech giants, Part I: “A California state jury found Meta and YouTube liable in a landmark social media case on Wednesday, awarding $3 million in compensatory damages to a plaintiff who brought the case and putting the Instagram maker’s liability at 70% and the Google company’s at 30%. The jurors later decided to award a total of $3 million in punitive damages, with Meta to pay $2.1 million and YouTube $900,000.”
* A major setback for tech giants, Part II: “A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found that Meta’s social media platforms harm children’s mental health and violate state consumer protection laws. The social media giant was found guilty on all counts and will now have to pay $375 million in civil penalties.”
* House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers finally says the right thing: “A top Republican denounced the Pentagon Wednesday for failing to give lawmakers enough information about U.S. military operations during a classified briefing on Iran — including plans for troops.”
* The classified documents scandal is still generating new headlines: “Special counsel Jack Smith gathered evidence that then-candidate Donald Trump took many top secret documents that related to his worldwide business interests, and investigators considered this a likely motive for Trump concealing them at his Florida club after he left the White House, according to newly released case records.” * There’s something jarring about seeing “Nick Adams” and “diplomatic” in the same sentence: “President Trump has picked Nick Adams, a right-wing influencer known for his machismo and professed love for steaks and the restaurant chain Hooters, to be a new diplomatic envoy for American tourism.” * An ongoing, avoidable tragedy: “Doctors across the nation are alarmed that skepticism fueled by rising anti-science sentiment and medical mistrust is increasingly reaching beyond vaccines to other proven, routine, preventive care for babies.” Scheduling note: I was on vacation part of last week, but I returned with a nasty head cold. I’m going to take a sick day tomorrow and play it by ear for Friday.
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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