Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Afghanistan: “Two U.S. service members were killed by a suicide truck bomber in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the Defense Department said, underscoring the danger to U.S. troops as the Trump White House struggles with a decision on the way forward there.”
* EPA: “One day after getting sued by 15 states, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt reversed his earlier decision to delay implementation of Obama-era rules reducing emissions of smog-causing air pollutants.”
* Russia scandal: “Congressional investigators are interested in obtaining phone records pertaining to Donald Trump Jr.’s June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer, CBS News has confirmed.”
* Missouri: “The state of Missouri has earned the dubious distinction of being the first ever state to have a travel advisory issued against it by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), due to a recent string of both directly and indirectly state-sanctioned racist and discriminatory incidents.”
* On a related note: “A forthcoming Missouri law that would make it harder to sue a business for race discrimination — which prompted the NAACP to issue a travel advisory for African-Americans in the state — was sponsored by a lawmaker whose business is being sued for race discrimination” * Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had originally said he’d delay the start of the chamber’s summer recess until the end of next week. But with health care stalled, McConnell changed his mind — and senators left town today. * A nomination that never should’ve happened is in trouble: “Add this to the growing list of White House headaches: President Trump’s pick to lead the Export-Import Bank is hanging by a fraying thread in the Senate. The nominee — former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) — faces a buzz saw of bipartisan resistance thanks to his outspoken efforts while in Congress to dismantle the bank he now seeks to lead.” Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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." Recommended
