Today’s edition of quick hits.
* It remains shameful that congressional Republicans refused to act on border policy: “Facing mounting political pressure over the migrant influx at the southern border, President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an executive order that will temporarily shut down asylum requests once the average number of daily encounters tops 2,500 between official ports of entry, according to a senior administration official.”
* This was a difficult hearing to watch: “Attorney General Merrick Garland rebuked Republicans Tuesday for what he described as unprecedented attacks on the Justice Department, telling lawmakers who have sought to hold him in contempt that he will ‘not be intimidated.’”
* In Ukraine: “Ukraine finally has a green light to strike inside Russia using U.S. weapons — and it may have begun doing so. A senior Ukrainian official hinted Monday that Kyiv had hit a missile system inside Russia using Western weapons, just days after many of Ukraine’s allies, including the United States, approved their limited use.”
* A humanitarian disaster: “Uganda’s sexual minorities face escalating human rights violations, with over 1000 cases recorded in the last nine months involving arrests, torture and house evictions among others, according to a report by an advocacy group.”
* Something to watch on Capitol Hill tomorrow: “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced the chamber will vote on a bill to protect a person’s ability to access contraceptives this Wednesday.”
* In related news: “House Democrats unveiled a new plan on Tuesday to attempt to force a vote on contraceptive protections — or at least to get Republicans in their chamber on record on the issue before November’s elections.” * A Proud Boys leader, who testified to the Jan. 6 committee, is now facing Jan. 6 charges: “Jay Robert Thaxton, 50, faces five charges: obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a capitol building or grounds; and obstructing or impeding passage in a capitol building or grounds.” * The warning from Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia seems easy to believe: “With only five months before voters head to the polls, the U.S. may be more vulnerable to foreign disinformation aimed at influencing voters and undermining democracy than it was before the 2020 election, the leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Monday.” 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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