Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Russia: “Moscow was hit by drones Tuesday morning, in what appeared to be the first attack on residential areas of the Russian capital since the invasion of Ukraine. It comes weeks after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin itself and following days of deadly Russian bombardment against civilians in Kyiv, as events far from the front lines take the spotlight ahead of Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive.”
* In Uganda, “aggravated homosexuality” can lead to a death sentence: “Uganda’s president has signed into law anti-gay legislation supported by many in this East African country but widely condemned by rights activists and others abroad.”
* A deadly holiday weekend: “Shootings across the U.S. left at least 16 people dead and dozens more injured over Memorial Day weekend. The gun violence occurred at beaches, high schools and motorcycle rallies, among other locations, across at least eight states. The victims were teenagers to people in their 60s.”
* The results were close, but not close enough: “Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday won re-election, surviving the toughest test of his two-decade and increasingly hardline rule. … Although Turkey is a NATO ally, under Erdoğan, 69, the country of 84 million has grown closer to Russia and slipped further toward authoritarianism. The results will have ramifications outside Turkey, which enjoys a strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.”
* Speaking of Russian allies: “Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, promised nuclear weapons to any nation that joined Russia and Belarus.”
* Harris at West Point: “Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at West Point, lauded graduating cadets Saturday for their noble sacrifice in serving their country, but noted they were entering an ‘unsettled world’ because of Russian aggression and the rising threats from China.”
* Hmm: “Prosecutors in New York have informed attorneys for Donald Trump that the evidence in their hush money case against the former president includes an audio recording of him and a witness, a court filing made public Friday shows.”
* All is not well in the Sunshine State: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed into law a spaceflight bill that protects companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin from legal liability if crewmembers or passengers are injured or killed during missions.” * I’m occasionally amazed by how sensitive some Republicans can be: “Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) suggested on Friday that Target ‘decided to wage war’ on its customers by releasing its annual Pride Month collection.” * Better late than never? “On May 26, 1647, Alice ‘Alse’ Young was ordered to Hartford, Conn., to be hanged. Young, a botanist, was accused of using witchcraft to start a pandemic that resulted in children’s deaths in nearby Windsor. … On Thursday — nearly 376 years after Young’s death — Connecticut’s Senate passed a resolution absolving dozens of state residents who were accused, convicted and executed for the crime of witchcraft in the 1600s.” 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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