Today’s edition of quick hits.
* A growing list: “The U.S. military killed six people on Sunday in two more strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday. The latest strikes raised the death toll in the campaign to 76 people in 19 attacks in the Pacific and the Caribbean Sea since early September.”
* In related news: “At least three U.S. military aircraft, including a heavily armed attack plane, have begun flying missions out of El Salvador’s main international airport in an expansion of the extraordinary U.S. troop buildup in the Caribbean, according to an analysis of satellite images, air traffic control communications and flight tracking data.”
* A closely watched case: “A federal judge in Oregon on Friday issued a permanent injunction barring the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard on the streets of Portland in response to protests against the president’s immigration policies.”
* Uh oh: “The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would hear a challenge to Mississippi’s counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day, a case that could upend mail-in ballot rules in dozens of states, creating chaos leading up to the 2026 elections.”
* Speaking of SCOTUS: “The Supreme Court declined to review Kim Davis’ petition asking the justices to overturn the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which recognized same-sex marriage rights. The expected denial came on Monday via the court’s routine order list announcing the latest action on pending appeals. It would have taken four justices to grant to review. No justices noted any dissent from the denial.”
* Trump sure does like Viktor Orban: “President Trump has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions the United States has imposed on countries buying Russian oil after meeting with the Hungarian prime minister at the White House on Friday.”
* A story worth keeping an eye on: “The Congressional Budget Office, lawmakers’ nonpartisan bookkeeper, was hacked by a suspected foreign actor, according to an agency spokeswoman, potentially exposing the key financial research data Congress uses to craft legislation.”
* A failing DeSantis experiment: “New College of Florida appears to be the most financially inefficient school in the university system, according to a study conducted by the state, with expenses per student and per degree far above average.” * When you continue to cling to the “Sleepy Joe” line, you really only have one job: “President Donald Trump hosted one of the more attention-grabbing press events of his term in the Oval Office this week, announcing price cuts for weight-loss drugs, only to be interrupted when one of the attendees collapsed in a faint. Before that dramatic turn of events, however, Trump appeared to struggle to stay awake. … A Washington Post analysis of multiple video feeds found that Trump spent nearly 20 minutes apparently battling to keep his eyes open at the Thursday event.” * Remember this one? “A federal court dismissed a lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer over her pre-election poll showing Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump in Iowa during the final days of the 2024 campaign.” * Ryan Walters is out in Oklahoma, but he’s still generating news: “New records obtained by News 4 reveal fresh concerns about former State Superintendent Ryan Walters, including a taxpayer-funded bonus to his press secretary who now works with him at an activist group, taxpayer-funded travel to events hosted by that same group, and behind-the-scenes videos of Walters promoting a specific Bible brand he later sought to place in public schools.” 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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