Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In the Middle East: “The Israeli military and Hezbollah traded cross-border strikes on Wednesday, leaving at least one person dead deep inside eastern Lebanon, as the conflict on Israel’s northern border continued to fuel concerns about a wider regional conflagration.”
* On a related note: “A senior Iranian military official said on Tuesday that retaliation against Israel over the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran may be long in coming and take any number of forms, suggesting that an attack against Israel may have been placed on hold.”
* DOJ: “The Justice Department said Wednesday it plans to press ahead with obstruction charges against two Jan. 6 defendants despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that limited the scope of a federal statute that makes it a felony to obstruct many government proceedings. Prosecutors contended they can still prove that the two defendants, a married couple from Ohio, are guilty of obstructing Congress even under the high court’s narrow interpretation of the law. The defendants, Don and Shawndale Chilcoat, are accused of surging with the mob onto the Senate floor during the riot at the Capitol.”
* In related news: “A lawyer for the Oath Keepers who helped organize the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol with right-wing extremist groups pleaded guilty Wednesday to obstruction of justice and entering a restricted area.”
* On the Korean Peninsula: “Wanting to halt defections to neighboring South Korea, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has ordered the construction of new border walls, rearmed guard posts and installed more land mines. But North Koreans keep finding creative ways to flee.”
* If you’re wondering whether the judge in this case is a Trump appointee, she is: “A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission that would have made it easier for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor. In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown granted a motion for summary judgement filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other plaintiffs, and rejected the FTC’s own petition for a judgement in its favor.” * Vaccine news: “The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the new Covid vaccine as early as Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s planning. It’s the third time the vaccines have been updated to match circulating strains since the original series. The shots should be available within days.” * The coda to an odd story from January: “A company that sent deceptive calls to New Hampshire voters using artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice agreed Wednesday to pay a $1 million fine, federal regulators said. Lingo Telecom, the voice service provider that transmitted the robocalls, agreed to the settlement to resolve enforcement action taken by the Federal Communications Commission, which had initially sought a $2 million fine.” 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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