Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The final vote on this was 231 to 199: “House Democrats approved legislation Thursday to raise the federal minimum wage for the first time in a decade, to $15 an hour, but the bill has almost no chance in the Republican-controlled Senate.”
* SDNY: “The FBI believed then-candidate Donald Trump was closely involved in a scheme to hide hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump, court documents from the closed campaign finance case against former Trump-fixer Michael Cohen show.”
* Flight risk: “A New York federal judge on Thursday ordered Jeffrey Epstein held without bail, siding with prosecutors who argued the wealthy financier and accused sex trafficker posed a flight risk.”
* It’s a shame that when Trump makes an announcement like this, there’s a temptation to wait for some kind of official confirmation: “President Donald Trump on Thursday said that a U.S. Navy ship ‘destroyed’ an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz — the latest in a series of tense incidents between the U.S. and Tehran.”
* In related news: “The United States is sending hundreds of troops to Saudi Arabia in what is intended as the latest show of force toward Iran, two Defense Department officials said Wednesday.”
* DHS: “Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan told members of Congress on Thursday that migrant children are only separated from their parents at the border under rare circumstances.”
* Contempt: “The House voted Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress for obstructing a probe into the administration’s failed bid to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.”
* The accused reportedly threatened Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.): “A Pentagon cybersecurity contractor has been charged with threatening to kill a member of Congress over the introduction of a bill that would require public schools to vaccinate children, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Maryland.” * This is a gut-wrenching story to read: “Border agent in Clint accused of harassing mother of 12-year-old migrant who was in custody.” * The latest party-switcher: “A former top Texas judge says she has left the Republican Party over President Trump, after his racist tweet telling four congresswomen to ‘go back’ to where they came from.” 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
