Today’s edition of quick hits.
* SCOTUS strikes again: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Republican officials in Virginia to revive a plan aimed at removing noncitizen voters from the rolls ahead of next week’s election. The justices blocked a federal judge’s ruling that put the program on hold and required the state to restore 1,600 voters to the rolls. The brief order noted that the three liberal justices on the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, all dissented.”
* Deadly floods in Spain: “At least 95 people have been killed and many others are missing after torrential rains caused flash flooding in southern and eastern Spain, local authorities said Wednesday. The toll makes this Spain’s worst natural disaster in almost 30 years and was confirmed by emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia, which said it was only an initial assessment.”
* Difficult diplomacy: “Senior White House officials will travel to Israel on Thursday, a U.S. official and a source briefed on the matter told NBC News, as the Biden administration intensifies efforts to end the conflicts in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The officials are expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the possibility of a deal to end the fighting in Lebanon, the source said.”
* In Syria: “U.S. airstrikes hit several Islamic State camps in the Syrian desert on Monday, killing up to 35 of the group’s operatives, the United States Central Command said in a statement on Wednesday. The strikes targeted multiple senior leaders in the early evening, the statement said, and there were no known civilian casualties.”
* Keep a close eye on this one: “The man suspected of setting fires in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington state is an experienced metalworker and may be planning additional attacks, authorities said Wednesday.” * H5N1 news: “A pig in Oregon has tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, the Agriculture Department said Wednesday. It’s the first time the virus has been detected in swine in the United States. Test results are pending for two other pigs found on the farm in Crook County, Oregon, the USDA said, while two others tested negative. The pig that tested positive didn’t show signs of illness.” * A brutal but important report out of Texas: “Josseli Barnica is one of at least two pregnant Texas women who died after doctors delayed emergency care. She’d told her husband that the medical team said it couldn’t act until the fetal heartbeat stopped.” 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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