Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Putin doesn’t want to go to the White House; he wants Trump to come to him: “Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he had invited Donald Trump to Moscow and that both he and the U.S. president want further summits, despite the uproar in Washington after the two leaders met in Helsinki last week.”
* Syria: “The Islamic State unleashed devastating attacks in a southern Syrian province on Wednesday, officials and a monitor said, killing more than 200 people and underscoring the militant group’s ability to strike despite losing most of its territory.”
* On the Korean peninsula: “A U.S. Air Force plane carrying what are thought to be the remains of 55 Americans killed during the Korean War arrived at Osan Air Base in South Korea on Friday morning, the 65th anniversary of the armistice that ended the fighting.”
* California: “A rapidly expanding wildfire in Northern California surged closer to major residential areas on Friday, killing two people, burning dozens of buildings and prompting emergency officials to issue an urgent plea for people in parts of Redding and surrounding areas to evacuate immediately.”
* Moonves: “The CBS board of directors said on Friday that it will investigate allegations of ‘personal misconduct” against its CEO, Leslie Moonves.”
* Ohio State: “Ten more former students have sued Ohio State University over alleged sexual misconduct by a now-dead team doctor, accusing school officials of facilitating abuse by ignoring complaints and requiring some athletes to get physicals from him to maintain their sports participation and scholarships.”
* Worth a try: “Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is escalating a contentious dispute over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s records, pressing former president George W. Bush directly to release all the documents from the nominee’s five years in the White House.”
* John Zadrozny: “A White House aide and ally of President Donald Trump’s most hard-line advisor, Stephen Miller, has been appointed to a position at the State Department where he would exercise influence over refugee policies, in a move that could further enable the administration’s harsh crackdown on migration.” * As ICE deports the wife of an American combat veteran, are we supposed to feel safer? “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents notified Alejandra Juarez Tuesday that she will be deported back to Mexico nine days from now, despite ongoing efforts to allow her to stay. Juarez is married to former Marine Sgt. Cuauhtemoc ‘Temo’ Juarez, an infantryman who served in the Marines from 1995 to 1999, first with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment.” * Robert Mueller and Donald Trump Jr. spotted at the same airport gate? Our reality too often seems like fiction. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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." Recommended
