Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Austin’s serial bomber: “The fourth explosion in less than three weeks in Austin, Texas, appears to be the work of a serial bomber, officials said Monday. Authorities warned that the devices appear to be getting more sophisticated and asked residents of one neighborhood to stay indoors until 2 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET) Monday.”
* Did anyone doubt what would happen? “Russian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide re-election victory Sunday, a widely anticipated win that will see him extend his rule over the world’s largest country into a third decade.”
* Does anyone doubt what they’ll find? “Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Friday it had opened a criminal investigation into the attempted murder of Yulia Skripal, daughter of former double agent Sergei Skripal, and what it said was the murder of another Russian in Britain.”
* Kushner story #1: “The Kushner Cos. routinely filed false paperwork with [New York City] declaring it had zero rent-regulated tenants in dozens of buildings it owned across the city when, in fact, it had hundreds.”
* Kushner story #2: “A real estate investment company that partnered with the Trump Organization on an office tower project in India has been accused of defrauding its foreign investors of at least $147 million, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.”
* Kushner story #3: “Jared Kushner’s father met with Qatar’s finance minister three months after President Trump’s inauguration, a New York City session at which funding for a financially troubled real estate project was discussed, the company acknowledged Sunday.”
* And speaking of Kushner, the Office of American Innovation doesn’t appear to be doing anything.
* An astonishing report: “Black boys raised in America, even in the wealthiest families and living in some of the most well-to-do neighborhoods, still earn less in adulthood than white boys with similar backgrounds, according to a sweeping new study that traced the lives of millions of children.” * Among the many things about the Trayon White story I found odd: he thinks people have the means to control the weather? “A Washington, DC, council member has apologized after posting a video in which he made anti-Semitic comments, claiming that a Jewish family was controlling the weather.” * ACA news: “Obamacare is no longer busting the bank for insurers. After three years of financial bloodletting under the law — and despite constant repeal threats and efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle it — many of the remaining insurers made money on individual health plans for the first time last year, according to a POLITICO analysis of financial filings for 29 regional Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, often the dominant player in their markets.” * State Rep. Harry Shiver (R) in Alabama explained his opposition to arming school teachers by suggesting he doesn’t believe “lady teachers” should be armed. “We don’t need to have a lady teacher in a school that’s got a firearm,” he said. 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
