Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Afghanistan: “A double suicide attack in Afghanistan’s capital killed 22 people, including nine journalists, and injured at least 42 others Monday, authorities said.”
* ICE: “Thomas Homan, the Trump administration’s top immigration enforcement official, announced Monday that he plans to step down from his job, six months after Trump nominated him to be director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
* Korean diplomacy: “North Korea’s promise to shut down its main nuclear weapons test site by the end of May is a significant symbolic gesture, but the move will have little impact on Kim Jong Un’s existing nuclear and ballistic missile programs, according to experts.”
* Beijing balks: “Staking an assertive negotiating stance, China says it will refuse to discuss President Trump’s two toughest trade demands when American officials arrive in Beijing this week, potentially derailing the high-level talks.”
* I guess this was inevitable: “Adult film star Stormy Daniels has filed a defamation suit against President Donald Trump for a tweet that said a forensic sketch of a man who allegedly threatened her in 2011 was ‘a total con job.’”
* CDC: “The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked that his $375,000 salary be reduced after a top Democratic senator and others raised questions last week about his pay, which is almost twice what his predecessor earned and more than other past directors.”
* A case worth watching: “Obamacare supporters are suing Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s administration to force him to expand Medicaid, accusing the Republican of ignoring a ballot initiative that ordered the state to join the coverage program.” * Trump’s call for air-traffic-control privatization wasn’t part of this package: “The House approved a five-year Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill Friday, featuring bipartisan support to expand commercial drone operations, boost airport construction funding and increase mandatory rest periods for flight attendants.” * These guys are always taking credit for others’ work: “Scott Pruitt has something to boast about when it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s record on cleaning up toxic sites since he took over the agency. But it’s a boast only made possible by achievements of the Obama administration.” 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
