Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The latest on the deadly explosion in Tennessee: “A Tennessee explosives manufacturing plant blew up Friday morning in a deadly, ‘devastating blast’ that’s left as many as ‘19 souls’ missing, authorities said. While some of the unaccounted for are believed to be ‘deceased’ at Accurate Energetic Systems near McEwen, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis declined to put an exact number on the fatalities.”
* Good for MIT: “The Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday became the first school to reject an offer of federal funds in exchange for agreeing to the Trump administration’s education agenda.”
* There’s every reason to believe these firings aren’t legal: “The Trump administration announced Friday that it has begun ‘substantial’ layoffs of federal workers, as the government remains shut down due to the inability of Congress to reach a funding deal.”
* It’s one of those days when it’s best to avoid looking at your retirement account: “The stock market slumped to its worst one-day showing since tariffs roiled markets in April, as the specter of the trade war returned between Beijing and Washington.”
* The bailout: “The United States directly purchased Argentine pesos on Thursday and finalized a $20 billion currency swap line with Argentina’s central bank, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post, a rare move aimed at stabilizing turbulent financial markets in the cash-strapped Latin American ally.” * The more this trend continues, the better: “For the first time, renewable energy has overtaken coal as the primary source of electricity around the world, a new report says, indicating a shift in the global reliance on environmentally harmful fossil fuels.” * On the Hill, the NDAA is advancing: “The Senate approved its version of the annual defense policy bill after ending an impasse on amendments, paving the way for the chamber to formally negotiate with the House on a compromise version of the bill. The 77-20 vote late Thursday to pass the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act came after a marathon voting session on amendments.” 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."
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