Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Today’s school shooting: “The sprawling Central Michigan University campus was on lockdown Friday after two people were killed and police were hunting for an ‘armed and dangerous’ gunman, university police confirmed.”
* On a related note: “A seventh-grader who shot and killed himself inside an Ohio middle school restroom last week was planning to shoot others at the school before changing his mind at the last second, a police chief said Thursday.”
* Hmm: “The Securities and Exchange Commission late last year dropped its inquiry into a financial company that a month earlier had given White House adviser Jared Kushner’s family real estate firm a $180 million loan.”
* Donald Trump’s lawyers have urged him “not to discuss details of the unfolding Russia investigation with anyone outside his legal team, warning of a conversational ‘bright line’ that could put aides and associates in legal jeopardy, according to current and former Trump aides. But Trump often ignores that legal advice in the presence of senior aides — including his departing confidante and White House communications director, Hope Hicks.”
* Greitens’ other controversy: “Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is investigating the veterans charity that scandal-plagued Gov. Eric Greitens founded eleven years ago.”
* FCC: “Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Thursday turned down an NRA gun award he received at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week, citing the advice of ethics officials at his agency.”
* This NLRB story may be a little obscure, but it’s interesting: “First, it reversed an Obama-era rule helping workers challenge the labor practices of big chains. On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board reversed its reversal. The move will make it easier to hold companies responsible for labor law violations committed by franchisees and contractors.” * Under halfway normal circumstances, this would be a big story: “The former top federal railroad regulator’s side gig as a public relations consultant for a Mississippi sheriff was more extensive than previously revealed, records obtained by POLITICO show.” * Take a wild guess why Donald Trump seemed so worked up about Alec Baldwin this morning. 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
