Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Mississippi: “Gov. Tate Reeves said Jackson’s boil-water notice can be lifted Thursday. Recent testing indicates water is safe to drink and the state will continue to monitor the water and conduct additional testing. As Reeves’ press conference was underway Thursday, Jackson sent out a press release announcing the boil-water notice for all City of Jackson water customers has been lifted, per the Mississippi State Department of Health.”
* One of the world’s most interesting geopolitical relationships: “While China and Russia are increasingly isolated from the West, the latest meeting between their two leaders sends a clear message: They still have each other. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Uzbekistan on Thursday on the sidelines of a regional summit showcasing their ambition to provide a counterpoint to America’s global dominance.”
* A notable arrest: “The FBI says it has made an arrest in connection with a hoax bomb threat against Boston Children’s Hospital…. U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins identified the person arrested as Kathleen Levy of Westfield, Massachusetts. She is charged with one count of making a false telephonic bomb threat in connection with a threat made to the hospital on Aug. 30.”
* Robert Keith Packer’s sentence: “A Jan. 6 rioter who wore a ‘Camp Auschwitz’ sweatshirt inside the U.S. Capitol was sentenced to 75 days in prison on Thursday, matching what the government had requested.”
* Really? “House Jan. 6 Committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) suggested on Wednesday that the panel’s made some major progress on obtaining key communication records from the Secret Service. Lofgren told MSNBC that the Secret Service has handed over a ‘large volume’ of ‘very pertinent’ material in response to the Jan. 6 committee’s subpoena since the panel’s last hearing in July.”
* In related news: “Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has complied with a subpoena from the Justice Department’s investigation into events surrounding January 6, 2021, sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, making him the highest-ranking Trump official known to have responded to a subpoena in the federal investigation.”
* U.S. policy toward Afghanistan: “The Biden administration moved on Wednesday to establish a foundation to begin spending $3.5 billion to benefit Afghans, using funds that President Biden had frozen and seized from Afghanistan’s central bank after the Taliban took over the country last year.” * Keeping an eye on Georgia: “The prosecutor investigating efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia said this week that her team has heard credible allegations that serious crimes have been committed and that she believes some individuals may see jail time.” * She’s right: “Justice Elena Kagan warned again on Wednesday that unsound reasoning and politically convenient conclusions have infected the Supreme Court’s recent opinions and are doing damage to the court’s standing with the American public.” See you tomorrow.
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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