Today’s edition of quick hits.
* A plan takes shape: “President Joe Biden announced Friday that Israel has proposed a three-part plan that would ultimately lead to a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, as well as the release of all hostages who have been held there for the last eight months. Speaking from the White House, Biden said that the proposal comes after intensive diplomacy carried out by his team. The plan has been relayed to Hamas via Qatar, one of the main mediators in negotiations.”
* From the same remarks: “In his first remarks since a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, President Joe Biden took a thinly veiled swipe at the former president’s attacks on the justice system. ‘It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,’ Biden said, speaking to reporters at the White House.”
* On a related note: “Less than 24 hours after being found guilty on 34 felony counts, Donald Trump stood in front of a backdrop of American flags and was ready to get weeks of frustration off his chest. The pugilistic former president spent 40 minutes unloading rambling comments peppered with mistruths and distortions to defend himself in news conference Friday at Trump Tower in Manhattan.”
* The latest from Minnesota: “A police officer was killed in a series of shootings on Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis that left two other people dead, including the gunman, city officials said. Three people were injured, including another police officer and a firefighter.”
* All is not well in Texas: “The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected a challenge to the state’s abortion ban — a response to a lawsuit filed last year by a group of women who had serious pregnancy complications. The ruling from the nine justices, who are all Republicans, was unanimous.”
* Inflation data: “Inflation rose about as expected in April, with markets on edge over when interest rates might start coming down, according to a measure released Friday that is followed closely by the Federal Reserve. The personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy costs increased just 0.2% for the period, in line with the Dow Jones estimate, the Commerce Department reported.” * The latest strikes in Yemen: “Joint British-U.S. airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed at least 16 people and wounded 42 others, the rebels said Friday, the highest publicly acknowledged death toll from the multiple rounds of strikes carried out over the rebels’ attacks on shipping.” * The latest Jan. 6 prison sentence: “A military veteran who was convicted of injuring a police officer’s hand during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison. John George Todd III declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell sentenced him. The judge said Todd, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, hasn’t shown any remorse for his role in damaging the country’s ‘fragile’ democratic institutions.” 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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