Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Part of me held out hope that the deal would fall apart, but it didn’t: “Elon Musk is now leading Twitter, according to CNBC. Two top Twitter executives, CEO Parag Agrawal and Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal, were also out, CNBC reported.”
* Jan. 6 fallout: “A former U.S. Capitol Police officer was convicted Friday of obstruction of justice for deleting Facebook messages he exchanged with a man who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.”
* Inflation news: “Some hints that U.S. price pressures are beginning to ease even as overall inflation remains high could encourage Federal Reserve policymakers to opt for smaller interest rate increases after they deliver a fourth straight supersized hike next week.”
* Yes, the ruling did come from a Trump-appointed judge: “A federal judge Friday refused to bar a group from monitoring outdoor ballot boxes in Arizona’s largest county, saying that to do so could violate the its constitutional rights. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi issued the ruling Friday.”
* Speaking of notable court rulings: “A federal appeals court on Thursday denied former President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to prevent a congressional committee from accessing his tax records.”
* Make sure you’re fully vaccinated: “Flu-related hospitalizations nationwide have risen dramatically in recent weeks, reaching levels historically not seen until much later in flu season, according to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
* Hmm: “The House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol is wrapping up its review of more than a million pages of Secret Service documents and plans to bring in top agents and officials from the agency to testify in the coming weeks, multiple sources tell CNN.”
* Good: “The Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies are cracking down on the escalation of the threats ahead of the U.S. election that could flip the balance of power in Congress.” * I continue to think this is a story with real potential: “Steven Mnuchin, who was Treasury secretary under President Donald J. Trump, moved faster than previously known to obtain billions of dollars in investments from Persian Gulf royal families after leaving government, two Democratic lawmakers said in a letter on Thursday.” * Infant formula: “Eight months ago, a big U.S. infant formula plant in Michigan shut down, causing shortages and sparking panic among families who couldn’t find formula they needed to feed their babies. Now, infant formula production has rebounded, but it can still sometimes be a struggle for parents to find it.” * What a mess: “A rural Nevada county roiled by voting machine conspiracy theories stopped its unprecedented effort Friday to hand count ballots cast in advance of Election Day. But Nye County officials vowed to reshape their plan and seek another go-ahead from the Nevada Supreme Court, after justices ruled late Thursday that counting methods used this week violated rules they set to prevent the county from allowing early disclosure of election results.” 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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