Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Brazil takes a radical step: “Far-right lawmaker Jair Bolsonaro won Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday, riding a wave of frustration over corruption and crime that brought a dramatic swing to the right in the world’s fourth-largest democracy.”
* Wasting little time: “President Trump on Monday touted what he characterized as an ‘excellent call’ with Jair Bolsonaro, the president-elect of Brazil, pledging to work closely with the far-right lawmaker and nationalist on a wide array of issues.”
* The latest school shooting: “Bullying and a fight over the weekend led to a high school student in Matthews, North Carolina, shooting and killing his classmate in the hallway Monday morning before classes, police said.”
* An important controversy: “The Trump administration has freed an American citizen whom the military imprisoned without trial for more than 13 months as a suspected Islamic State member, United States officials said on Monday.”
* The victims in the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting ranged in age from 54 to 97.
* The end of an era in Germany: “Angela Merkel was once revered as the most powerful woman in the world, seen by many as a crucial defender of the post-war international order and a bulwark against a rising tide of populists. On Monday, the German chancellor signaled that her 13 years in power is coming to an end.”
* This was wildly irresponsible of Cornyn: “Political reporters and observers are up in arms after Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) tweeted portions of a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) that lacked context and misleadingly seemed to be an inflammatory comment on the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.” * Donald Trump said he hit the campaign trail in the wake of Saturday’s mass murder in much the same way Wall Street was open the day after 9/11. The trouble is, Wall Street was not open the day after 9/11. * And I’ve watched the video of Trump dropping his umbrella while boarding Air Force One a few times, and it’s a surprisingly memorable moment. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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." Recommended
