Today’s edition of quick hits.
* A closely watched case: “A federal judge in Maryland questioned the Trump administration Tuesday about its continued refusal to retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia from an El Salvador prison, even after the Supreme Court ordered his return to the U.S.”
* The more universities fight back, the better: “A group of universities — including Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — and education groups filed a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to halt the Department of Energy’s cuts to federal research grants.”
* I’ll be eager to hear more about this one: “One of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leading advisers, Dan Caldwell, was escorted from the Pentagon on Tuesday after being identified during an investigation into leaks at the Department of Defense, a U.S. official told Reuters. Caldwell was placed on administrative leave for ‘an unauthorized disclosure,’ the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The decision has not been previously reported.”
* Reports like these are increasingly familiar: “The Trump administration is using personal data normally protected from dissemination to find undocumented immigrants where they work, study and live, often with the goal of removing them from their housing and the workforce.”
* One of the interesting details in this report is its emphasis on improved screening: “One in 31 8-year-olds had autism in U.S. communities examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a small increase from previous years, according to a report released Tuesday.”
* At the State Department: “The Trump administration has expanded the power of adviser Elon Musk’s government-cutting team over the State Department, making a Musk lieutenant acting head of foreign assistance. A senior U.S. official confirmed the new job for Jeremy Lewin, an associate of the Department of Government Efficiency earlier appointed to help finish dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development.”
* This seems likely to get the White House’s attention: “China’s decision to retaliate against President Trump’s sharp increase in tariffs by ordering restrictions on the exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets is a warning shot across the bow of American national security, industry and defense experts said.” * Impressive: “A female Army Ranger for the first time competed in the annual Best Ranger Competition, and her two-soldier team finished the grueling three-day event over the weekend and came in 14th overall.” * So you’re saying Vance handed was something impressive before mishandling it? “Oops. Vice President and proud Ohio State alum JD Vance tried to help the Buckeyes celebrate their NCAA football championship during a White House visit Monday — but ended up fumbling their trophy.” 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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