Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The questions probably would’ve been interesting: “A news conference that was planned to follow talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy was canceled Thursday as political tensions deepened between the two countries over how to end the almost three-year war with Russia.”
* In the Middle East: “Hamas released the bodies of four Israeli hostages Thursday, parading four black caskets on a stage against a backdrop of propaganda slogans and behind white missiles spattered with red paint bearing the phrase ‘they were killed by USA bombs.’”
* In New York: “Gov. Kathy Hochul will — for the time being — not remove embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office, but will instead impose limits on his power, a source with direct knowledge told NBC News on Thursday. Hochul in recent weeks has been pressured to exercise her power to remove Adams from City Hall after the mayor’s indictment last year on a host of corruption allegations.”
* At the EU: “Hoping to head off a potential trade conflict, a top European Union official stressed the importance of active engagement and fairness in trade during a four-hour meeting with Trump administration officials.”
* At the Pentagon: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year in order to redirect those savings to fund President Donald Trump’s priorities.”
* At the Treasury Department: “The Trump White House and Treasury Department officials have agreed to prohibit the U.S. DOGE Service from accessing personal taxpayer data, according to two people familiar with the arrangement, heading off a brewing privacy crisis at the tax agency.” * The White House has a competence problem: “U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has put billionaire Elon Musk in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, appearing to contradict the White House over who runs the cost-cutting program.” * A story worth watching: “A Mississippi judge issued a Tuesday order forcing the Clarksdale Press Register to remove an editorial criticizing city officials, sparking First Amendment concerns and pushback from press advocates.” 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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