Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Biden’s message to Israel: “President Joe Biden said Wednesday the U.S. would not supply Israel with certain weapons and artillery shells if its military invades Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million people are sheltering. If the Israeli military launches a ground offensive in Rafah, the administration will not supply ‘the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities,’ Biden said in an interview on CNN.”
* In related news: “Israel reacted with a mix of concern and fury Thursday to President Joe Biden’s warning that he would cut off weapons to the U.S. ally’s military if it moves forward with a full-scale assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering.”
* A curious strategy for the defense: “Adult film star Stormy Daniels returned to the stand in Donald Trump’s criminal trial Thursday, pushing back during cross-examination on his defense attorney’s attempts to discredit her in sometimes bizarre and uncomfortable exchanges.”
* This seems like bad news for Cuellar: “Two political strategists have agreed to plead guilty to conspiring with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar to launder more than $200,000 in bribes. The Department of Justice struck plea deals earlier this year with Colin Strother, of Buda, and Florencio ‘Lencho’ Rendon, of San Antonio, ensuring their cooperation in the investigation of Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday and Thursday.”
* Speaking of alleged congressional corruption: “ A Washington grand jury has indicted former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., on charges he made false statements during a campaign finance probe, months after a federal appeals court threw out his 2022 conviction on similar charges in California.”
* A notable shift: “Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders’ meeting in California late last year.” * A story we’ve been keeping an eye on: “Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a new round of criminal charges Wednesday against lawyer Stefanie Lambert, alleging Lambert, who’s worked to advance dubious election fraud claims nationally, and former Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott allowed someone to access non-public voter information.” * Noted without comment, from The New York Times’ coverage of today’s Trump trial: “Joshua Steinglass, the prosecutor, says that the details of Stormy Daniels’s story before and during the sexual act corroborate her account, and show the fact that sex happened, which increases the motivation to silence her. Trump is dozing on and off during all of this.” 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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