Today’s edition of quick hits.
* What a fiasco: “The grand jury that charged former FBI Director James Comey never saw the version of the indictment that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan signed and that was delivered to the judge, the government acknowledged Wednesday in an extraordinary concession that could nullify the indictment.”
* In Ukraine: “An American delegation arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday to ‘discuss efforts to end the war’ as American efforts to revive peace negotiations appeared to gain momentum. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll was joined by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and other top Army officials, Col. Dave Butler said in a statement, hours after Ukrainian police said at least 25 people were killed in a heavy overnight Russian missile and drone attacks.”
* The latest reward for Trump’s friends in Riyadh: “President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have entered into a security agreement that will ease weapons transfers and elevate the relationship between the two countries. Under the agreement, Saudi Arabia would be designated a ‘major non-NATO ally,’ a formal relationship that deepens defense cooperation but does not include a security guarantee.”
* In the Middle East: “Israel launched an airstrike on a densely populated Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon late Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding several others, according to Lebanese officials. It was one of the deadliest Israeli strikes in Lebanon since a cease-fire with Hezbollah went into effect about a year ago, ending a short but devastating war against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.”
* Trump’s contempt for South Africa takes a dangerous turn: “Amid steep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance, the Trump administration is touting a new plan to provide a powerful HIV prevention drug to countries most affected by the disease in an ambitious push to end the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. But the program, which saw the first donated doses of lenacapavir delivered to Eswatini and Zambia last week, is already facing criticism from patient advocacy groups because the Trump administration refuses to provide the lifesaving antiretroviral medication free to South Africa, the country with the world’s largest HIV-positive population.”
* Abbott targets the Council on American-Islamic Relations: “Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas declared on Tuesday that one of the nation’s largest Muslim advocacy and civil rights groups is a foreign terrorist organization, saying the move will prohibit the organization from acquiring land in Texas and authorize the state attorney general ‘to sue to shut them down’ in Texas.”
* Last month, FBI Director Kash Patel fired David Maltinsky, an FBI agent-in-training, because he had a rainbow pride flag near his desk. Now, Maltinsky is suing over his dismissal, and his case is well worth watching. * At the intersection of MAGA and MAHA: “Calley Means, a confidant to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is taking a permanent post in the Trump administration, where he is expected to serve as a bridge between the Make America Healthy Again movement and President Trump’s broader MAGA coalition.” * A heartbreaking report: “ProPublica has found multiple cases of women with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions. Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old mother, was told by doctors there was no emergency before preeclampsia killed her.” 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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