Today’s edition of quick hits.
* I wonder if Durham has grown tired of losing cases: “A federal jury acquitted Russian analyst Igor Danchenko on Tuesday on four counts of lying to the FBI in what is expected to be the final case stemming from special counsel John Durham’s three-year probe into the origins of the agency’s investigation into alleged ties between former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.”
* Needlessly provocative: “The U.S. Air Force dispatched two F-16 fighter jets to intercept a pair of Russian bombers that flew close to Alaska on Monday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement. Though the two Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, NORAD said that it ‘detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted’ the aircraft as they were ‘entering and operating within the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.’”
* Another message for Riyadh: “Biden administration officials are considering trying to discourage American companies from expanding business ties with Saudi Arabia as part of a U.S. response to a recent Saudi-led push by oil-producing countries to cut global production, said three current and former U.S. officials familiar with the discussions.”
* Jason Dolan’s trial: “A member of the far-right Oath Keepers who stormed the U.S. Capitol testified that he was ready to fight to keep former President Donald Trump in office and was preparing himself in the weeks before Jan. 6 to say goodbye to his family, he testified in a seditious conspiracy trial on Tuesday.”
* Oil supplies: “Multiple White House officials say that the U.S. strategic reserve contains roughly 400 million barrels of oil, and [President Joe] Biden could order an additional release as early as Wednesday, when chief of staff Ron Klain said he is set to deliver remarks on his administration’s efforts to lower gas prices.” * HHS: “The government announced plans Tuesday to award millions of dollars in grants to expand all-hours mental health and substance abuse care in more communities around the country.” * The first Asian American on U.S. currency: “The trailblazing Chinese American actress Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American featured on U.S. currency as part of a program that includes notable women on American quarters. Wong, who is considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, is the fifth and final woman to be individually featured on a quarter this year.” 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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