Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The fact that the outcome was so close is unsettling: “The Supreme Court on Wednesday voted 5-4 to deny President Donald Trump’s emergency bid to avoid paying nearly $2 billion in foreign aid funds for already completed work. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett were with the three Democratic appointees in the majority.”
* This entire policy is an indefensible mess: “President Donald Trump continued to send mixed signals about his tariffs plan Wednesday, granting U.S. automakers a one-month reprieve on new 25% duties imposed on Canada and Mexico, while continuing to deem Canada’s efforts to tackle drug and migrant flows insufficient.”
* The real-world effects of the White House’s agenda: “The United Nations has launched an emergency appeal to raise $11.2 million to help fund Uganda’s response to an Ebola outbreak that has killed two people, after the country’s health budget was strained by U.S. cuts to foreign aid.”
* It’s a good thing these officials weren’t fired: “The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent some of its ‘disease detectives’ to West Texas to help with the measles outbreak there — a sign that the Trump administration is getting more deeply involved in the response.”
* An important step backward, Part I: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to terminate Pentagon offices and positions that focus on preventing and responding to civilian harm during U.S. combat operations, according to three defense officials.”
* An important step backward, Part II: “The State Department on Tuesday halted efforts to monitor air quality levels around the world, ending a program that had provided data about a major global health risk.”
* Vought-imposed chaos at the CFPB: “A new trove of emails unearthed in federal court reveals chaos unleashed by the Trump administration’s abrupt shutdown of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Obama-era agency meant to shield Americans from unfair banking practices.” * Stunning information by way of the General Services Administration: “The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that hundreds of federally owned properties are available for sale, including the headquarters of the Justice Department, Labor Department and U.S. Census Bureau — an effort that, if carried out, could radically shrink the federal real estate portfolio and have a major impact on the D.C. area.” * I’m sorry to see 538 go: “Seventeen years after its launch reshaped the political polling landscape, the outlet 538 is being shut down. The last 15 or so employees of the once influential data aggregator are set to be laid off by Disney’s ABC News Group, according to a Tuesday report by the Wall Street Journal.” 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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