Today’s edition of quick hits:
* At the U.N.: “Russia forcefully denied at a United Nations Security Council meeting Monday that it aims to invade Ukraine, accusing the United States of whipping up tensions to foment war.”
* In Georgia: “A federal judge on Monday rejected a deal between federal prosecutors and at least one of the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery after the victim’s family objected to the plea bargain.”
* Six HBCU bomb threats: “At least six historically Black colleges, including Howard University and Southern University and A&M College, received bomb threats Monday, prompting lockdowns and police investigations.”
* Another subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee: “The panel also subpoenaed Judd Deere, who worked as a spokesman for Trump’s White House, NBC News reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.”
* A story we’ve been following: “Russia will not conduct naval exercises in international waters in the Irish Sea next week following a request from the Irish government to relocate the maneuvers, Moscow’s ambassador to Ireland said on Saturday.”
* The problem is not unique to the United States: “Thousands of protesters gathered in front of Canada’s Parliament on Saturday in a raucous demonstration, which began as a movement by truckers to challenge a government vaccination mandate but spread to include a wide array of antigovernment grievances.”
* A notable Vatican statement: “Pope Francis denounced on Friday the ‘distortion of reality based on fear’ that has ripped across the world during the coronavirus pandemic, but he also called for compassion, urging journalists to help those misled by coronavirus-related misinformation and fake news to better understand the scientific facts.”
* Kim Jung Un must be jealous of the attention Putin’s been getting: “North Korea on Sunday fired what appeared to be the most powerful missile it has tested since President Joe Biden took office, as it revives its old playbook in brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and neighbors amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.” * A different kind of fight surrounding the Fed: “Yet another woman of color nominated for a high-profile government job is facing a smear campaign from the right. This time they’re going after Lisa Cook, a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve’s seven-member board of governors.” * Clearly, I need to convince conservatives to try to ban my book, too: “Just days after the banning of ‘Maus’ by a Tennessee school district made national news, two editions of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novel about the Holocaust have reached the top 20 on Amazon.com and are in limited supply.” 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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