Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Lebanon: “The U.S. Embassy in Beirut alerted Americans in Lebanon to make plans to leave as soon as possible ‘while commercial options are still available.’”
* In related news: “The State Department issued a worldwide caution advisory Thursday, due to ‘increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests,’ it said.”
* For those keeping an eye on Capitol Hill, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio told reporters that his “plan” is to hold a third vote on his bid for House speaker before the day’s end.
* Alsu Kurmasheva: “A U.S. journalist has been detained in Russia, her employer said, the second such case since the war in Ukraine started. Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual Russian American reporter with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was detained in the southwest Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday while awaiting the return of her passports, her employer said Thursday in a statement.”
* Josh Paul’s resignation: “A State Department official with over a decade of experience in the agency’s bureau that oversees U.S. arms sales resigned this week, citing what he called the U.S.’s ‘blind support’ for Israel in its war with Hamas war and its continued ‘provision of lethal arms to Israel.’”
* In Michigan: “Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office has dismissed the charges against one of the 16 people who allegedly signed a document falsely claiming that Donald Trump won the state’s electoral votes in 2020 during an effort to overturn the results of the election. The decision came after the alleged fake elector, James Renner, agreed to ‘cooperate fully’ with the attorney general’s investigation.”
* Important investments: “The Biden administration on Wednesday announced $3.5 billion for 58 projects across the country to strengthen electric grid resilience as extreme weather events such as the deadly Maui and California wildfires continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems.” * Remember this one? “A Texas city on Wednesday agreed to a $175,000 settlement with passengers on one of President Joe Biden’s campaign buses in 2020, including Democrat Wendy Davis, who accused police of ignoring their calls for help after a caravan of Donald Trump supporters surrounded them on a highway.” * An interesting way to look at recent events: “Mocked as old, feeble and bumbling by Republicans, Democratic President Joe Biden has now visited two active war zones in eight months ― two more than all the previous presidents combined.” I’m off tomorrow, but I’ll see you on Monday.
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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