Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Menendez’s prison sentence: “A judge sentenced an emotional former Sen. Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison Wednesday for a years-long bribery and corruption scheme that saw him rewarded with gold bars and stacks of cash. Menendez had pleaded with U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein for mercy, twice breaking down in tears.”
* Interest rates: “Federal Reserve officials held interest rates steady following their first policy meeting to take place during the second Trump administration. That decision comes despite President Donald Trump’s pressure on policymakers to drive rates lower.”
* In Ukraine: “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Vladimir Putin of being ‘afraid’ to negotiate after his Russian counterpart refused to engage in peace talks with him and once again questioned his legitimacy.”
* At the DOJ: “Federal prosecutors moved on Wednesday to drop their last remaining efforts to prosecute President Trump’s two co-defendants in the classified documents case brought by the former special counsel Jack Smith. In a single-page filing, prosecutors asked a federal appeals court in Atlanta to dismiss an appeal that had been filed before Mr. Trump took office seeking to reinstate criminal charges against the two men, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.”
* An unfortunate new law: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an immigration detention measure into law, marking the first legislative win of his second term as the Republican-led Congress angles to execute his agenda. The House gave its final approval of the bill in a 263-156 vote last Wednesday, with 46 Democrats joining all Republicans in favor. The measure also passed the Senate last week in a 64-35 vote, with 12 Democrats breaking with their party to back it.”
* A new direction on Temporary Protected Status: “Venezuelans in the U.S. will lose approximately one year of temporary protection from deportation granted earlier this month by outgoing President Joe Biden. On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem canceled the latest extension of Temporary Protected Status issued by Biden, which allowed eligible Venezuelans to stay legally and work through Oct. 2, 2026. Venezuelans who have had TPS since March 11, 2024, will see it end on Sept. 10 of this year.” * At the EPA: “Acting EPA Administrator James Payne has ousted all members of two of the agency’s most influential science advisory panels, giving President Donald Trump’s administration the opportunity to reshape them with its own appointees.” * A sign of the times: “DOJ Pride, an LGBTQ employee resource group at the Department of Justice, has shut down more than a week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to root out all diversity, equity and inclusion measures from the federal government. The group ‘ceased to operate effective immediately,’ the group’s board said in an email sent to members Tuesday evening.” 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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