Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Afghanistan: “A rush-hour suicide bomb hidden in a sewage truck killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300 others in Afghanistan’s capital early Wednesday, officials said. The powerful explosion occurred at a time when Kabul’s roads were packed with commuters.”
* Should be interesting: “Fired FBI Director James Comey is expected to testify in public before the Senate Intelligence Committee next week after having been ‘cleared for takeoff’ by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a source close to Comey told NBC News.”
* According to Sean Spicer, the White House will now refer all questions related to the investigation into the Russia scandal to Donald Trump’s private attorney. Whether Trump World — and the president himself — will actually stick to this is unclear.
* Subpoenas: “The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas on Wednesday, in a sign that its investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election is ramping up in scope and intensity, according to people familiar with the matter. The Republican-led committee issued four subpoenas related to the Russia investigation.” The other three have to do with the GOP’s preoccupation with “unmasking.”
* Flynn: “Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will hand over some personal and business documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee by June 6, a source close to Flynn told NBC News on Tuesday.”
* China: “Two activists are missing and another has been arrested in China after conducting an investigation into a local company making Ivanka Trump-branded shoes, a New York-based advocacy group said Wednesday.”
* Climate: “In a landmark victory in the fight against climate change by corporations, Exxon Mobil shareholders on Wednesday voted to approve a plan that could force the oil company to release more information concerning its efforts to combat global warming.”
* I think this is an important misstep: “The New York Times is eliminating the position of public editor, an accountability role the paper created in 2003 in the wake of the Jayson Blair plagiarism scandal.” * LGBT: “In an important decision for transgender rights, the influential 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that a transgender student in Wisconsin, Ash Whitaker, is likely to prevail in his suit seeking access to the school restrooms corresponding to his gender identity.” * Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) was asked this week what the Republican Party stands for in the Trump era. “I don’t know,” the senator responded. * And while I’m not entirely sure who Kathy Griffin is, she appears to have done irreparable harm to her career with an offensive attempt at humor: “CNN ended its deal with Kathy Griffin after she caused outrage over a video clip she posted showing her holding a fake decapitated head made to look like President Donald Trump.” 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
