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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In the Middle East: “Tens of thousands of people fled southern Lebanon on Tuesday as Israel continued to pound Hezbollah targets with an aerial offensive that has caused more than 550 casualties. Hezbollah fought back by launching a new barrage of cross-border fire while Israel’s military said it would accelerate its campaign against the Iran-backed militant group.”
* A good ruling for the special counsel’s office: “U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan sided with special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday when she said he can file a longer-than-usual brief in the forthcoming immunity litigation. But in addition to granting the government’s arguably administrative request, the judge also rejected a handful of complaints that Donald Trump’s lawyers raised in connection with the motion.”
* At the U.N.: “In his last speech as president before the United Nations General Assembly, Joe Biden called on nations Tuesday to band together amid the spiraling conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing global concerns about China’s influence. ‘I truly believe we’re at another inflection point in world history. The choices we make today will determine our future,’ Biden said.”
* Within 48 hours, this storm will likely be a hurricane: “A hurricane watch and warnings of storm surges up to 15 feet high were issued Tuesday for almost all of Florida’s western coastline as Tropical Storm Helene formed over the Caribbean Sea, and heads towards the Gulf Coast.”
* Even the local prosecutor’s office believes this execution is unjust: “Missouri is set to execute a death row inmate Tuesday night after two efforts to save his life failed. The Missouri Supreme Court and the state’s governor both rejected requests from attorneys for Marcellus Williams to cancel his execution. Gov. Mike Parson had been asked to convert Williams’ sentence to life in prison, while the state Supreme Court was asked to grant a stay. Williams’ case has spurred several efforts to save his life amid doubts about the evidence presented at his 2001 murder trial and the actions of a trial lawyer in the case.”
* A suit worth watching: “Visa’s moves over the years have resulted in American consumers and merchants paying billions of dollars in additional fees, according to the DOJ, which filed a civil antitrust suit in New York for ‘monopolization’ and other unlawful conduct.”
* A judge favored by judge-shoppers is against efforts to reform judge shopping? Imagine that: “A federal judge in Texas whose courthouse has become a favorite destination for conservative litigants and business groups challenging Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda is criticizing the federal judiciary’s leadership for caving to ‘political pressure’ by trying to adopt policies to curb ‘judge shopping.’ U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, laid out his criticisms in remarks delivered on Saturday during a Federalist Society conference in Fort Worth, where he presides.”
See you tomorrow.