Today’s edition of quick hits:
* I’m surprised by how much U.S. officials are willing to say things like this: “Intelligence shared by the U.S. helped Ukraine sink the Russian cruiser Moskva, U.S. officials told NBC News, confirming an American role in perhaps the most embarrassing blow to Vladimir Putin’s troubled invasion of Ukraine.”
* A contempt charge is a possibility: “Rudy Giuliani will no longer meet Friday with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, his lawyer confirmed. The last-minute change, attorney Robert Costello said, came after the House committee denied a request to record the scheduled interview.”
* Capitol Hill: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday announced a minimum annual wage of $45,000 for House aides and said she’s scheduling a vote on a resolution that would allow staffers to unionize.”
* A notable White House meeting: “President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh met Thursday at the White House with several union organizers involved in successful campaigns at companies including Amazon and Starbucks. The meeting was intended to discuss how the recent organizing successes can inspire other workers to join or form a union, according to the White House.”
* Another conspiracy theory bites the dust: “Recordings released to defense lawyers directly challenge assertions by prominent Republicans that an Arizona man named Ray Epps was a federal informant and helped start the Capitol riot.” * I’m guessing Elon Musk’s friends on the right won’t be pleased: “Tesla is covering travel costs for employees seeking out-of-state abortions, joining the ranks of major companies who’ve introduced a similar policy to benefit workers affected by new restrictions in the past few months.” * Among the many questions is how it got there in the first place: “Laura Young, a Texas antiques dealer, thought she had found a steal when she came across a stunning statue at a Goodwill store in 2018 for just under $35. And while she suspected she had come across something ‘very special,’ little did she know the piece would turn out to be a priceless Roman bust dating back to 2,000 years.” 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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