Today’s edition of quick hits.
* An important breakthrough: “The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the oral contraceptive Opill for over-the-counter sales, making it the first hormonal contraceptive pill available in the U.S. without a prescription.”
* We’ll probably never know: “The mystery of who brought cocaine into the White House remains unsolved. The Secret Service investigation has concluded with no usable forensic or video evidence identifying the person responsible, three Secret Service officials familiar with the investigation tell NBC News.”
* The sooner we can get Gershkovich out of there, the better: “President Joe Biden on Thursday said he’s serious about pursuing a prisoner exchange for a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days. The Kremlin earlier this month suggested that it was open to a possible prisoner exchange that could involve Evan Gershkovich, but it underscored that such talks must be held out of the public eye.”
* In Ukraine: “Cluster munitions provided by the United States have now arrived in Ukraine, the Pentagon said Thursday. The munitions — which are bombs that open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets — are seen by the U.S. as a way to get Kyiv critically needed ammunition to help bolster its offensive and push through Russian front lines.”
* At the border: “The number of migrants who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization in June plummeted to the lowest level since the start of the Biden administration following the enactment of stricter asylum rules, according to unpublished government data obtained by CBS News.”
* SAG-AFTRA strike: “Thousands of Hollywood actors are heading to the picket lines after their labor union and a trade group representing the industry’s leading studios failed to reach a deal on a new contract, grinding film and television production to a halt.”
* All eyes on the NDAA: “The House is set to vote on Thursday on whether to limit abortion access, bar transgender services and end diversity training for military personnel, part of a series of major changes that hard-right Republicans are seeking to the annual defense policy bill, including pulling U.S. aid to Ukraine.”
* Will she share insights the public hasn’t already heard? “A former White House aide to President Donald Trump who became a prominent congressional witness against him and his allies in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol has a book deal. Cassidy Hutchinson’s ‘Enough’ will be released Sept. 26 by Simon & Schuster.”
See you tomorrow.
