Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The largest single-day act of clemency in modern American history: “President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others in an expansive act of clemency in the final weeks of his presidency.”
* Inflation news: “A measure of wholesale prices rose more than expected in November as questions percolated over whether progress in bringing down inflation has slowed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.”
* In Syria: “Israeli forces will stay in Syrian territory they seized following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s government until the establishment of ‘an effective force’ that meets Israel’s security demands, the Israeli government said on Thursday.”
* Only the best people: “Ed Martin, who has been chosen by President-elect Donald J. Trump to be the chief of staff for his Office of Management and Budget, is an anti-abortion activist who helped to organize the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement to overturn the 2020 election for Mr. Trump.”
* House Republicans delayed consideration of this bill until after Election Day because they weren’t sure whether Trump would win or not: “The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bipartisan bill backed by the federal judiciary that would create dozens of new judgeships despite President Joe Biden’s pledge to veto it.”
* Oh my: “Weeks before a newly elected Republican was scheduled to be sworn in to the West Virginia Legislature, the incoming lawmaker was arrested on Thursday in connection with making threats against government officials, the authorities said. The delegate-elect, Joseph de Soto, 61, of Gerrardstown, W.Va, who was elected last month to represent District 91 in the House of Delegates, was taken into custody and charged with the crime of terroristic threats, the West Virginia State Police said in a statement.” * It’d be great if Trump and his team left this CFPB policy alone: “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule on Thursday that would limit overdraft charges at large banks and credit unions, a move that federal officials said could help save Americans billions in fees each year. Whether it will remain in place once President-elect Donald J. Trump returns to power is unclear.” * It’s notable that neither Mark Zuckerberg nor his company donated a dime to the Biden inaugural, but Meta cut a seven-figure check for the Trump inaugural: “Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, said Thursday it had donated $1 million to the inaugural fund of President-elect Donald Trump. A spokesperson for the company confirmed the donation, which The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday night.” 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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