Today’s edition of quick hits.
* An extended truce: “Two hostages have been released after the truce between Israel and Hamas was extended a day in a last-minute agreement that will see more captives and Palestinian prisoners freed.”
* Gag order: “A state appeals court in New York reinstated a gag order against Donald Trump and his lawyers in the $250 million civil fraud case against the former president and his company, rejecting his argument that the order was unconstitutional.”
* The latest encouraging news on inflation: “Inflation as measured by personal spending increased in line with expectations in October, possibly giving the Federal Reserve more incentive to hold rates steady and perhaps start cutting in 2024, according to a data release Thursday.”
* And speaking of good economic news: “Fresh data released Wednesday shows U.S. economic growth in the third quarter was even better than previously thought: Gross domestic product increased at a 5.2% annualized rate, the Commerce Department said.”
* A highly worthwhile initiative: “The Biden administration is proposing new restrictions that would require the removal of virtually all lead water pipes across the country in an effort to prevent another public health catastrophe like the one that came to define Flint, Mich.”
* A Jan. 6 defendant: “Nathan Donald Pelham, a Texas man, was sentenced on Wednesday to two years in federal prison for shooting at local law enforcement officers days before he was scheduled to surrender to the F.B.I. for charges related to illegally entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
* In related news: “A Donald Trump supporter who bashed in a Capitol window, assaulted police officers with pepper spray and urged the mob to ‘pull the cops out’ during the brutal battle at the lowest west tunnel on Jan. 6 is asking a judge to grant him early release, saying he was ‘manipulated’ by the former president and Fox News.” * As I understand it, Ernst is now fine and not feeling any effects from the incident: “Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., performed the Heimlich maneuver on Sen. Joni Ernst during a Republican conference lunch at the Capitol on Thursday, according to a tweet by the Iowa senator.” * Among the many concerns is that Musk doesn’t appear to have any idea what “blackmail” means: “Speaking at the 2023 DealBook Summit in New York on Wednesday, Elon Musk, the owner of social media site X (formerly Twitter), scoffed at advertisers leaving the platform because of antisemitic posts he amplified there. ‘If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f—yourself. Go. F—. Yourself. Is that clear?’” 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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