Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In case there were any lingering concerns about the Trump administration’s sweeping spending freeze from earlier in the week, a federal judge in Rhode Island blocked the policy, concluding that the White House’s move likely “violates the Constitution.” This is the second such ruling from a district court.
* The latest from D.C.: “Two black boxes from the American Airlines passenger jet have been recovered in good condition, and the National Transportation Safety Board said data is being downloaded from the devices as it continues to discover how the crash happened.”
* Trump still has one day to change his mind: “The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump would impose a 25% tariff on goods coming to the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on those from China on Saturday, a move that could drive up prices for products coming into the U.S. from those countries.”
* An important case worth watching: “A New York doctor was indicted by a Louisiana grand jury on Friday for allegedly prescribing an abortion pill online in the Deep South state, which has one of the strictest near-total abortion bans in the country.”
* Inflation news: “Inflation closed out 2024 on a strong note, as a price gauge the Federal Reserve focuses on came in well above the central bank’s target, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The personal consumption expenditures price index increased 2.6% on a year-over-year basis in December, 0.2 percentage point higher than the November reading and in line with the Dow Jones estimate.”
* The Fifth Circuit strikes again: “A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that a law stipulating a minimum age of 21 years to purchase handguns is unconstitutional, citing in part the history of firearm use in its connection with militia service.”
* Interesting story out of Illinois: “Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is blocking those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol from working in state jobs, ignoring President Donald Trump’s attempt to offer them a clean slate last week in a sweeping set of pardons and commutations.” * This decision cuts short a five-year appointment during key preparations for the 2030 census: “The director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Robert Santos, announced Thursday he is resigning, giving President Trump an early opportunity to nominate a new political appointee to lead the agency.” * The White House might be sincere about its expansionist agenda, but that doesn’t mean the Greenland initiative isn’t a joke: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on President Donald Trump’s desire to buy Greenland, saying it would be vital to U.S. interests. ‘This is not a joke,’ Rubio said on the ‘The Megyn Kelly Show’ on SiriusXM Thursday.” 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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