Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In the Middle East: “Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed early Wednesday in the Iranian capital, according to Iran and the Palestinian militant group, both of which blamed Israel for an attack that has raised fears of spiraling conflict in the region. Haniyeh, 62, was assassinated in Tehran after he attended the inauguration ceremony for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Hamas said.”
* On a related note: “Israel warned that no Hamas leader was safe, but the assassination of the militant group’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran’s capital has sent shockwaves across a region hardened by war and conflict. Not only did the strike — which Iran and Hamas have blamed on Israel — deepen fears of an all-out war in the Middle East, it has dimmed hopes for a cease-fire deal that could help wind down the catastrophic war in the Gaza Strip and ensure the release of hostages still being held there.”
* Meanwhile, in Iran: “Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly, in retaliation for the killing in Tehran of Hamas’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh, according to three Iranian officials briefed on the order.”
* In Ukraine: “Ukraine has received the first F-16 fighter jets that it has sought for months to fight back against an onslaught of Russian missile strikes, a U.S. official confirmed to The Associated Press.”
* Where’s our rate cut? “Federal Reserve officials said Wednesday that while there are signs the economy is slowing, it was not yet ready to cut its key interest rate. Yet even as it held rates at their current level of about 5.5%, the Federal Open Market Committee’s latest statement contained changes in language that acknowledged growing signs of economic weakness that suggest a greater willingness to consider lowering borrowing costs.” * Cruel and unusual: “The South Carolina Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that death by electrocution, firing squad or lethal injection are all legal forms of execution in the state, finding that none could be considered a cruel or unusual punishment because inmates can choose the option they consider the least painful.” * A heartbreaking report: “Nearly 1,000 American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian children died while attending boarding schools that were set up by the U.S. government for the purpose of erasing their tribal ties and cultural practices, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Interior Department.” See you tomorrow.
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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