Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Biden in France: “Invoking the soldiers who braved Nazi fire on D-Day, President Joe Biden called upon Americans to put country first and not cast aside the democratic traditions that an earlier generation died to protect.”
* Aid to Ukraine: “The U.S. will send about $225 million in military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Thursday, in a new package that includes ammunition Kyiv’s forces could use to strike threats inside Russia to defend the city of Kharkiv from a heavy Russian assault.”
* Aid to Gaza: “A temporary American pier was reattached Friday to a beach in the Gaza Strip, almost two weeks after high seas damaged it and forced the suspension of crucial aid deliveries to starving Palestinians. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of United States Central Command, told reporters that the pier should be delivering aid ‘in the coming days,’ although he did not specify when.”
* H5N1: “Elephant seals in South America died in massive numbers because the bird flu virus acquired mutations that allowed it to spread among mammals, according to a new study. The research offers the first genetic and epidemiological evidence of bird flu virus transmission among mammals. And the findings hold a warning: The virus, called H5N1, may similarly transform to cause large-scale infections in other mammalian species, including people.”
* Clarence Thomas’ disclosure: “Justice Clarence Thomas reported a 2019 trip to Bali with billionaire friend Harlan Crow in his annual financial disclosures report released Friday — a previously reported instance of the justice’s cozy relationship with the real-estate mogul.”
* It would ordinarily be big news when a former White House chief of staff appeared in court, responding to criminal charges: “Former Donald Trump presidential chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump 2020 Election Day operations director Michael Roman pleaded not guilty Friday in Phoenix to nine felony charges for their roles in an effort to overturn Trump’s Arizona election loss to Joe Biden.” * All is not well at the platform formerly known as Twitter: “Elon Musk’s social media app X has been placing advertisements in the search results for at least 20 hashtags used to promote racist and antisemitic extremism, including #whitepower, according to a review of the platform.” * The demise of a case that wasn’t smart: “U.S. Appeals Court Judge Gregory Katsas, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, joined two of his colleagues on Friday in a ruling against Trump-appointed U.S. military board members.” 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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