By
Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The NTSB’s preliminary report: “The ‘preventable’ and ‘traumatic’ derailment of a train carrying dangerous chemicals in Ohio can be traced to an overheated wheel bearing, which was 253 degrees hotter than the air temperature, National Transportation Safety Board officials said Thursday.”
* On the ground: “Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to East Palestine, Ohio, on Thursday to view the site of the recent train derailment that led to a spill of toxic chemicals into the community.”
* Some relevant context: “It is exceedingly rare for a transportation secretary to visit the site of a train derailment, especially one that resulted in no fatalities. ... About 1,000 train derailments occur each year, according to federal data.”
* Will lawmakers respond? “The White House is calling on congressional Republicans to increase the fines levied on rail companies for safety violations, as a fiery Feb. 3 train derailment in Ohio has become a political lightning rod.”
* The latest on Florida’s most recent mass shooting: “The 19-year-old accused of fatally shooting three people in Florida, including a TV journalist and a 9-year-old girl, is a ‘known gang member’ who had a lengthy rap sheet that included arrests on grand theft and domestic violence charges, according to officials and his criminal background.”
* This is in response to the lawsuit filed by former senior FBI agent Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page: “A federal judge on Thursday ordered that former president Donald Trump and FBI Director Christopher Wray can be questioned under oath by attorneys for two former senior FBI employees who allege in separate lawsuits that they were illegally targeted for retribution after the FBI investigated Russia’s interference in the 2020 presidential election.”
* At least for now, Banga appears to have fairly broad support: “President Biden intends to nominate Ajay Banga, the former chief executive officer of Mastercard Inc., to serve as president of the World Bank, moving swiftly to fill a vacancy atop an institution the U.S. is pushing to overhaul.”
* A Dickensian nightmare: “A company that the Labor Department says used more than 100 children to clean slaughterhouses hired the same child twice under different names, an internal company document shows.”
* A stunning report out of Alaska: “Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman sparked outrage online after asking whether there could be economic benefits from the death of abused children.”
* And in Georgia, Donald Trump was quick to celebrate Fulton County’s special grand jury last week. Evidently, he changed his mind after hearing that there’s still a chance he’ll be indicted.
See you tomorrow.