Today’s edition of quick hits:
* FDA: “The Food and Drug Administration is expected to spell out a tough, new standard for an emergency authorization of a coronavirus vaccine as soon as this week that will make it exceedingly difficult for any vaccine to be cleared before Election Day.”
* Breonna Taylor case: “The Louisville Metro Police Department has canceled all days off and pending vacation requests while waiting for Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s decision regarding the Breonna Taylor case. The state of emergency cancellations are ‘until further notice,’ LMPD said in a Monday statement.”
* This week’s SCOTUS-related schedule: “President Donald Trump plans to announce his nominee to the Supreme Court on Saturday, and barring a monumental surprise, she will be on track for confirmation.”
* DOJ: “The Justice Department on Monday told the House Judiciary Committee that several high-profile witnesses would not testify as requested because legislators had been rude to Attorney General Bill Barr.”
* DOD: “A $1 billion fund Congress gave the Pentagon in March to build up the country’s supplies of medical equipment has instead been mostly funneled to defense contractors and used to make things such as jet engine parts, body armor and dress uniforms.”
* I guess the Phase IV talks aren’t completely dead? “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin renewed efforts Tuesday to find a bipartisan deal to keep the government open past Sept. 30, a day after House Democrats unveiled a stopgap spending bill that Republicans opposed.”
* Ricin letter: “A letter sent to the White House containing the toxic powder ricin has been traced back to Pascale Ferrier, a woman who was arrested on Sunday while trying to cross the U.S. border from Canada, authorities said Tuesday. Ferrier has been charged with making threats against the president of the United States.” * The latest USPS news: A federal judge in New York on Monday ordered the Postal Service to reverse operational changes that have slowed mail delivery in recent months and to prioritize election mail, the latest legal rebuke to Louis DeJoy’s management of the agency. * I’d recommend keeping expectations low: “President Donald Trump is planning to announce a series of executive actions on health care as soon as Thursday, as he tries to shore up his record on an issue that’s been a drag on his reelection effort.” 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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