Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Another controversial ruling from a Trump-appointed judge: “A federal judge in North Dakota blocked a Biden administration rule that allowed DACA recipients to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Dan Traynor sided with a group of 19 Republican state attorneys general who filed a lawsuit in August to prevent the rule from taking effect, saying it violates a law that prohibits giving public benefits to people without legal immigration status.”
* Another closely watched case: “New York Attorney General Letitia James has rejected Donald Trump’s request to walk away from her office’s $486 million civil fraud judgment against the president-elect.”
* Bashar al-Assad’s whereabouts: “Russia is providing sanctuary to Bashar al-Assad, having transported the former Syrian leader there ‘in the most secure way possible’ after the swift collapse of his regime, Russia’s deputy foreign minister told NBC News in an exclusive interview Tuesday.”
* In related news: “The Biden administration said Tuesday it will recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the U.S. would work with groups in Syria and regional partners to ensure that the transition from President Bashar Assad’s deposed government runs smoothly.”
* Gut-wrenching bloodshed in Haiti: "More than 180 people were killed in a massacre over the weekend in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Haiti’s capital, the United Nations’ human rights chief said on Monday. A leading Haitian human rights group described the killings as the personal vendetta of a gang boss who had been told that witchcraft caused his son’s fatal illness."
* From the Hill: “The House task force that investigated the assassination attempts against Donald Trump published its final report on Tuesday, making dozens of recommendations including that the Secret Service should record all radio transmissions and scale back protection of foreign leaders to focus on protecting the president and other top U.S. officials.”
* Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s latest findings: “Seeking to investigate leaks of classified information, the Trump Justice Department in 2017 and 2018 secretly obtained phone and text message logs of 43 congressional staffers and two members of Congress in a far broader probe than previously known, according to a new report by the department’s internal watchdog.”
* Blocking a big merger: “A U.S. District Judge in Oregon has blocked a $25 billion-bid by supermarket giant Kroger to take over rival Albertsons after ruling that the Federal Trade Commission’s concerns about the merger’s impact on market consolidation were valid. Judge Adrienne Nelson said Tuesday afternoon that a merger between the two companies would end up harming consumers.”
* The latest in a series of concerns related to the senator’s health: “Outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, is recovering from minor injuries after falling following Senate Republicans’ weekly lunch on Tuesday, his office said. ... On his way to the Senate floor later Tuesday, McConnell told reporters he is ‘feeling good.’ He had a bandage under his left eye, and a bandage on his left wrist.”
See you tomorrow.