Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Ukraine: “Dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were feared dead Friday as Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of carrying out a missile strike on a prison in Russian-controlled territory.”
* In related news: “The United States has admitted at least 100,000 Ukrainians over the last five months, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Axios.”
* I’ll look forward to learning more about this: “A Russian operative who worked on behalf of one of the Kremlin’s main intelligence services has been charged with recruiting political groups in the United States to advance pro-Russia propaganda, including during the invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, the Justice Department said Friday.”
* Vaccination news: “The Biden administration now expects to begin a Covid-19 booster campaign with retooled vaccines in September because Pfizer and Moderna have promised that they can deliver doses by then, according to people familiar with the deliberations. With updated formulations apparently close at hand, federal officials have decided against expanding eligibility for second boosters of the existing vaccines this summer.”
* Big Oil: “Oil companies swam in record profits over the last few months at a time when Americans struggled to pay for gasoline, food and other basic necessities. On Friday, Exxon Mobil booked an unprecedented $17.85 billion profit for the second quarter and Chevron made a record $11.62 billion. The sky-high profits come one day after the U.K.’s Shell shattered its own profit record.”
* Sought after transcripts: “The Jan. 6 select committee is preparing to produce 20 witness interview transcripts to the Justice Department amid prosecutors’ increasingly public investigation of efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election.”
* Senate Republicans will get a chance to redeem themselves: The next vote on the PACT Act, expanding health care to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, will be on Monday.
* I wish this were more surprising: “Mississippi embodies a national pattern: States that have banned abortion, or are expected to, have among the nation’s weakest social services for women and children, and have higher rates of death for infants and mothers.” * All is not well in Florida: “Florida education officials on Thursday urged schools across the state to disregard recent guidance from the Biden administration aiming to strengthen protections for transgender students under federal Title IX gender equity law.” * I’m glad there were consequences for this: “Canada-based Red Deer Exhaust Inc. and Arkansas-based Thunder Diesel & Performance Company will pay a $1.6 million penalty to resolve allegations that they violated the Clean Air Act by selling ‘defeat devices,’ the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday.” 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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