Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Best wishes for a speedy recovery: “Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico suffered a stroke and underwent surgery over the weekend, his office said Tuesday, adding that he is expected to make a full recovery.”
* Today’s school shooting: “One student is dead and another hospitalized in critical condition after a shooting Tuesday outside a school in a suburb of Minneapolis, according to authorities.”
* Today’s other school shooting: “An active-shooter incident at a private liberal arts college in Virginia prompted a shelter in place order on Tuesday afternoon. In a series of tweets, Bridgewater College, about 140 miles west of Washington, D.C., issued the warning shortly before 1:30 p.m.”
* Vaccine news: “Pfizer-BioNTech on Tuesday asked the Food and Drug Administration to expand the use of its Covid-19 vaccine to children ages 6 months to 5 years.”
* The Russia/Ukraine crisis: “Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the U.S. and its allies have ignored Russia’s key security demands as the standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine shows no signs of easing.”
* On the Hill: “Greg Jacob, who served as then-Vice President Pence’s chief counsel, is the latest member of the former vice president’s team to speak with the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol. He was spotted leaving the room where the committee interviews witnesses in its investigation on Tuesday.”
* This generated a ton of chatter in political circles today, but very little has actually changed: “Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat whose support is key to President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda, said Tuesday that while the current version of the Build Back Better bill is ‘dead,’ he’s open to another round of talks with the White House.”
* Fingers crossed: “The United States and its European allies appear on the cusp of restoring the deal that limited Iran’s nuclear program, Biden administration officials said on Monday, but cautioned that it is now up to the new government in Tehran to decide whether, after months of negotiations, it is willing to dismantle much of its nuclear production equipment in return for sanctions relief.” * A major policy shift: “The Biden administration on Monday reinstated a way of measuring the benefits of reducing air pollution, the first step in a plan that could tighten limits on the amount of mercury that can be discharged from coal-burning power plants. Mercury is a neurotoxin that poses a particular danger to the brain development of children and fetuses.” * Worth watching: “New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) subpoenaed the General Services Administration for information about how the agency selected former president Donald Trump’s business to lease the historic post office where he developed his D.C. hotel, according to two people familiar with the request.” 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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