Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The latest good news on inflation: “An important inflation gauge released Friday showed that the rate of price increases cooled as 2023 came to a close. The Commerce Department’s personal consumption expenditures price index for December, an important gauge for the Federal Reserve, increased 0.2% on the month and was up 2.9% on a yearly basis, excluding food and energy.”
* A big move on energy policy: “The Biden administration is pausing approvals of pending applications for liquefied natural gas exports to countries with which the United States does not have free trade agreements, citing environmental concerns related to climate change as a key reason for the move.”
* At the U.N.: “The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a ruling that could have far-reaching consequences though the court has no power to enforce it. The United Nations’ top court stopped short of ordering the cease-fire requested by South Africa while it hears a full case accusing Israel of genocide, which the U.S. and Israel have dismissed.”
* In Alabama: “An Alabama man was put to death using nitrogen gas Thursday evening in a first-of-its-kind execution that could influence states in pursuit of a viable alternative to lethal injection.”
* Drug-policy diplomacy: “The United States and China will hold formal high-level talks in Beijing next week aimed at limiting the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., senior Chinese officials tell NBC News, resuming counternarcotics cooperation that was suspended for more than a year even as America struggles with what has been called its worst drug crisis in history.”
* The latest on Andrew Cuomo: “The U.S. Justice Department reached a settlement with the state of New York on Friday to resolve a sexual harassment investigation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, confirming allegations from the damaging misconduct probe that led to the Democrat’s resignation.” * The Trump White House was a mess in so many ways: “‘We found that the White House Medical Unit provided a wide range of health care and pharmaceutical services to ineligible White House staff in violation of Federal law and regulation and DoD policy,’ says a new report from the Defense Department’s inspector general. ‘Additionally, the White House Medical Unit dispensed prescription medications, including controlled substances, to ineligible White House staff.’” * Why has politics become so nationalized? This has contributed to the trend: “The Tampa Bay Times, Omaha World-Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Columbus Dispatch, Denver Post, and Salt Lake Tribune all had Washington correspondents until recently, just to name a few. They’re all gone, casualties of layoffs or off to national or insider publications with more functional business models.” Have a safe weekend.
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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