Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Following White House pressure: “Israel committed to opening additional aid routes to allow for increased assistance to flow into Gaza after a call with President Joe Biden warning of a potential shift in U.S. policy after a strike this week killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.”
* In related news: “The Israeli military said that a probe found serious errors and violations of protocol led its forces to repeatedly hit a World Central Kitchen convoy and kill seven aid workers that it says were believed to be Hamas gunmen. … The IDF said two senior officers had been dismissed as a result of the WCK probe, but refused to comment further when asked if the officers were fired or still retained positions in the military.”
* Trump’s latest legal setback: “The judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s impending New York criminal trial on Friday denied his bid to subpoena NBCUniversal for information involving a key witness in the hush money case, adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump had subpoenaed NBCUniversal for information related to ‘Stormy,’ a documentary on the actress that recently premiered on the network’s streaming service, Peacock. NBCUniversal is the parent company of both Peacock and NBC News.”
* As a result of Republican intransigence in Congress, Ukrainian soldiers “are reaching for some of the last ammunition for some types of weapons. … The shortfall comes as Ukraine is on the defensive along the 600-mile front line in eastern Ukraine and is building additional fortifications, such as bunkers, trenches and minefields. Artillery ammunition is needed to hold the line until the defensive fortifications are completed and an expected Russian offensive gets underway this summer.”
* At the border: “The number of migrants apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border dipped in March, internal government statistics obtained by CBS News show, a surprising trend that American officials say mainly stems from an immigration crackdown by the Mexican government.”
* The crisis in Haiti: “Heavily armed gangs control 80 percent of Port-au-Prince, the United Nations has estimated, where they rape, kidnap and kill with impunity. Haiti doesn’t manufacture firearms, and the U.N. prohibits importing them, but that’s no problem for the criminals. When they go shopping, the United States is their gun store.” * This progress could be reversed next year: “While Republican lawmakers try to walk a fine line on in vitro fertilization — expressing support for the popular procedure, even as some of their supporters argue life begins at conception — the federal government expanded fertility benefits for millions of workers this year, including up to $25,000 a year for IVF.” * After an earthquake briefly shook parts of the East coast this morning, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia argued that the quake and next week’s eclipse are divine messages calling in Americans “to repent.” Noted without comment. 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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