Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The latest tragic loss in Afghanistan: “A Utah mayor serving in Afghanistan was reportedly killed and another service member was wounded when an Afghan commando opened fire on them on Saturday in Kabul. Maj. Brent Taylor, the mayor of North Ogden, Utah, was killed.”
* Friday night’s mass shooting: “A gunman killed two people and wounded five others at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday evening before fatally shooting himself, officials said. Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo said the shooter, Scott Beierle, 40, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
* On a related note: “The man who shot and killed two women at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday before killing himself was a far-right extremist and self-proclaimed misogynist who railed against women, black people, and immigrants in a series of online videos and songs.”
* Good call, Part I: “The Supreme Court on Friday night refused to halt a novel lawsuit filed by young Americans that attempts to force the federal government to take action on climate change, turning down a request from the Trump administration to stop it before trial.”
* Good call, Part II: “The U.S. Supreme Court late Friday refused to stop a lawsuit, scheduled to go to trial on Monday, over the Trump administration’s plan to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 census form.”
* This is a partial list: “There’s no U.S. ambassador in Mexico, our troubled neighbor to the south. No ambassador in nuclear-armed Pakistan, arguably the most dangerous country on Earth. No ambassador in Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world. No ambassador in Jordan, a vulnerable ally sandwiched between Syria and Israel. No ambassador in South Africa or Singapore.”
* Keep an eye on Trump’s decision on sanctions imposed on Oleg Deripaska, one of Russia’s most infamous oligarchs: “With the administration closing in on its latest self-imposed deadline to make a final decision by Dec. 12, there are signs that Mr. Deripaska’s companies could escape the sanctions entirely.” * Interesting: “[A] nationwide review conducted by ABC News has identified at least 17 criminal cases where Trump’s name was invoked in direct connection with violent acts, threats of violence or allegations of assault. Nearly all — 16 of 17 — cases identified by ABC News are striking in that court documents and direct evidence reflect someone echoing presidential rhetoric, not protesting it.” * I get the feeling the seven-term congressman had made a bit too much of this: “Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) found no humor in someone changing the ‘o’ in his last name to an ‘a’ and amending his slogan to support the aforementioned ode to flatulence. The vandal also picked up on a hot 2018 trend and placed a pair of googly eyes on his face.” 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
