Today’s edition of quick hits:
* If true, this should be interesting: “President Donald Trump’s private lawyers are slated to meet with special counsel Robert Mueller and members of his team as soon as next week for what the President’s team considers an opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of the next steps in Mueller’s probe, according to sources familiar with the matter.”
* Worth keeping an eye on: “The top U.S. Senate Democrat said on Friday he would force a vote on the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to repeal the 2015 landmark net neutrality rules.”
* And then there were seven: “Kamala Harris on Thursday called for President Donald Trump to resign over accusations of sexual harassment and assault, becoming the seventh senator to publicly call for Trump’s resignation.”
* Puerto Rico: “Two Democratic members of Congress are pushing for a federal investigation of hurricane-related deaths in Puerto Rico in light of mounting evidence suggesting that the official figure of 64 deaths has been ‘artificially suppressed.’”
* The ACA works: “Fewer Americans are putting off doctor visits or struggling with medical bills, according to a new report examining the effect of the Affordable Care Act.”
* DHS: “A White House senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security previously promoted conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama’s birthplace, lamented the ‘Zimbabwe-fication of America,’ and mocked the LGBT community.”
* The House Ethics Committee “announced Friday that it has opened an investigation into Rep. Ruben Kihuen. Two women have accused the Nevada Democrat of sexual harassment.” * Interior: “More than one-third of employees at the Interior Department said they were harassed or discriminated against in the previous year, the department said Thursday as it released a report on workplace conditions at the sprawling agency.” * A compelling line from the Washington Post‘s Glenn Kessler: “[T]here has never been a serial exaggerator in recent American politics like the president. He not only consistently makes false claims but also repeats them, even though they have been proved wrong. He always insists he is right, no matter how little evidence he has for his claim or how easily his statement is debunked. Indeed, he doubles down when challenged.” 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
