Today’s edition of quick hits:
* An expanding U.S. commitment in Ukraine: “President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. would give another $1.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine but that additional funding will soon be needed from Congress to maintain the flow of weapons. Biden said the latest aid would include $800 million in heavy artillery weapons, including 72 howitzers and 144,000 rounds of ammunition, along with 121 tactical ‘ghost’ drones.”
* NATO: “Sweden will speed up its review of security policy, which includes a view on possible NATO membership, with the result to be published in mid-May rather than at the end of that month, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Tuesday.”
* Kentucky’s abortion ban: “A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a state law that effectively eliminated abortions in Kentucky after the state’s two remaining clinics said they couldn’t meet its requirements.”
* SCOTUS: “Puerto Ricans on the island and in Congress criticized a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday that found it’s constitutional to deny federal benefits to aging and disabled U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico, though they can access benefits if they relocate to the mainland.”
* Speaking of the high court: “South Carolina’s highest court on Wednesday issued a temporary stay blocking the state from carrying out what was set to be its first-ever firing squad execution.”
* ATF: “The Biden administration plans to pick Gary M. Restaino, the top U.S. prosecutor in Arizona, as the interim director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives until a permanent leader is confirmed, according to officials with knowledge of the situation.”
* All is not well in Florida, Part I: “The Florida Health Department issued guidance Wednesday that seeks to bar both ‘social gender transition’ and gender-affirming medical care for people under 18 in the state.”
* All is not well in Florida, Part II: “On the heels of the state’s so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law, the Florida Department of Education has quietly dropped out of a 31-year-old CDC survey of students that includes questions of mental well-being, suicidal thoughts, sexual orientation and gender identity.” * Quite a story out of Texas: “Conservative activist Steven Hotze on Wednesday was indicted on two felony charges related to his alleged involvement in an air conditioning repairman being held at gunpoint in 2020 during a bizarre search for fraudulent mail ballots that did not exist, according to his attorney, Gary Polland.” * She’s right: “Hillary Clinton is moving quickly to shut down an epic federal lawsuit that former President Donald Trump filed last month accusing her, her political allies and various government officials of a racketeering conspiracy to propagate false claims about Trump and Russia in connection with the 2016 presidential race.” 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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