Today’s edition of quick hits:
* A high-profile hearing: “Postmaster General Louis DeJoy committed to delivering ballots and election mail on time in testimony before the U.S. Senate on Friday, his first public statement since the U.S. Postal Service has come under intense scrutiny for extensive mail delays.”
* On a related note: “The Democratic-controlled House is scheduled to vote Saturday on legislation that would prohibit the Postal Service from making changes to its operations during the COVID-19 public health emergency and require the service to restore capacity from before the recent cutbacks. The bill also would give the agency $25 billion in additional financing. DeJoy told senators he didn’t want the cash infusion House Democrats are offering.”
* Navalny: “Gravely ill Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was cleared Friday for transfer to a hospital in Berlin, ending a standoff between doctors and Navalny allies who accuse Russian officials of attempting to cover up a suspected poisoning of the country’s most prominent opposition leader.”
* Gulf Coast: “As we enter the heart of hurricane season, twin tropical cyclones are aimed at the U.S. mainland, with both poised to make landfall early next week — possibly on the same day.”
* Economy: “America’s economic recovery is in an uneasy pause, with key indicators of hiring, shopping and investment stalling or in retreat in the wake of a resurgence in coronavirus cases across broad sections of the country, and with Congress and President Trump showing no signs of progress on another stimulus deal.”
* What a deeply strange story: “Kodak’s $765 Million Moment: How It Happened and How It Went Wrong.” * A helpful explainer: “US Attorney John Durham, appointed by Attorney General Bill Barr to review US officials’ handling of the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, landed a guilty plea on Wednesday for the only charge stemming from his probe so far. Former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith, part of the team that prepared applications to surveil Trump campaign aide Carter Page, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement.” * Remember this story? “The House Ethics Committee on Friday admonished Rep. Matt Gaetz for a threatening tweet last year directed at Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer…. The Ethics panel found Gaetz’s tweet ‘did not violate witness tampering and obstruction of Congress laws, but Representative Gaetz’s actions did not reflect creditably upon the House of Representatives.” Have a safe weekend.
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."
Latest Post
Recommended
