Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Biden tests positive: “President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid on Thursday and is experiencing “mild symptoms,” the White House said in a statement. Biden, 79, is being treated with the antiviral Paxlovid and is fully vaccinated and twice boosted, the statement said.”
* In a video released via social media this afternoon, the president delivered a brief message from a White House balcony. “I’m doing well, getting a lot of work done, going to continue to get it done,” Biden said. “And in the meantime, thanks for your concern, and keep the faith. It’s going to be okay.”
* Matthew Bledsoe was convicted today on multiple counts, including a felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding: “A Tennessee man and self-described ‘loudmouth,’ who filmed himself screaming ‘WE IN THIS B----‘ as he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had a difficult time explaining his actions this week to a jury.”
* Dawn Bancroft received related news today: “A January 6, 2021, US Capitol rioter who said she had looked for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to kill her that day was sentenced to 60 days behind bars Thursday.”
* Ports matter: “California’s third-busiest port shut down some of its gates and marine terminals for a third day Wednesday as truckers protesting a gig-work law that could take 70,000 drivers off the road blocked access to the operation.”
* Contraception access: “A pair of shoppers at a Walgreens in Wisconsin said an employee refused to sell condoms to them on religious grounds — something Walgreens said is permitted under its policies.”
* Garrett Ziegler: “A Trump administration aide who met with the House Jan. 6 committee this week unleashed a 27-minute inflammatory tirade, calling the lawmakers’ investigation into the Capitol riot racist against White people and using sexist slurs to describe his former colleagues who also testified.”
* Much of the world’s infrastructure isn’t prepared for the climate crisis: “Roads and airport runways buckling. Train tracks warping. Bridges swelling. These are just some of the damaging effects extreme heat has had on critical infrastructure in recent years, as heat waves have become more frequent and intense — a stark reminder, experts say, of the need to adjust quickly to a warming planet.”
* I meant to mention this news yesterday: “Ukraine’s first lady addressed Congress on Wednesday, asking for more weapons to defend against what she called the ‘Russian hunger games’ killing children and ripping apart families.”
* This makes me happy: “The Federal Communications Commission has ordered phone companies to stop carrying traffic related to robocalls about scam auto warranties.”
* With a voice vote, the Senate today unanimously passed legislation “to temporarily suspend tariffs on imported baby formula until the end of the year to address the ongoing baby formula shortage.” The Formula Act is now headed to the White House for the president’s signature.
* Noted without comment: “MAGA cable channel One America News has been on life support since satellite provider DirecTV dropped the far-right conspiratorial network from its lineup this spring. It now looks like it may be DOA. Verizon Fios, currently the largest pay-TV platform still carrying OAN, announced on Thursday afternoon that it had been unable to come to terms with the network’s owners on a new agreement and would no longer carry the channel after this month.”
See you tomorrow.