Today’s edition of quick hits.
* McIver in court: “Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., pleaded not guilty this morning to a trio of federal charges brought by the Justice Department accusing her of assaulting immigration officers outside of a New Jersey ICE detention center during a congressional oversight visit last month.”
* At the NATO summit: “[Donald] Trump singled out Spain for pushing against an increase in defense spending, threatening to make it pay double. ‘We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We’re going to make them pay twice as much,’ the president said. ‘And I’m actually serious about that.’ NATO members agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of their GDP, but Spain declined to commit to the target.”
* This seems unlikely to work out well for the public: “A federal vaccine advisory committee plans to review the childhood vaccination schedule and scrutinize vaccines that have been approved for decades, fueling concerns that the panel may consider changes to long-standing vaccine recommendations.”
* I didn’t realize a case like this one was even possible: “The Justice Department sued all 15 federal district court judges in Maryland on Tuesday over an order that pauses any deportations under legal challenge in the state for 48 hours. Legal experts described the move as an unprecedented attack on judicial independence, while government lawyers said it was necessary to preserve President Donald Trump’s constitutional authority over immigration.”
* An ongoing fiasco at NOAA: “Some former employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who were fired, rehired and fired again this spring say they have received debt notices from the federal government to pay it back for health care coverage. Those workers also say the notices are for coverage they never had.”
* These comments don’t appear in line with the White House script: “President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the top U.S. general in Europe says he believes Ukraine could prevail against Russia’s more than three-year-old invasion. ‘I think Ukraine can win,’ Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich said in testimony at his June 24 Senate confirmation hearing.” * Noted without comment: “One of the most talked-about staff members of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency has left the federal government, continuing a stream of DOGE-related departures. Edward Coristine, the 19-year-old nicknamed ‘Big Balls’ who joined DOGE as one of its original staffers, has left his job and the administration entirely, a White House spokesperson said Tuesday.” * JD Vance wondered online whether other vice presidents “had as much excitement as I do.” It was a rhetorical question, though Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky replied, “Ask Mike Pence about his last month.” Ouch. 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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