Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Mass shooting in Texas: “Three people were shot to death at a Texas nursing home on Friday night and two others were found dead at a nearby residence, in what the authorities said were related episodes.”
* Mass shooting in Louisiana: “Police in New Orleans are asking for help following Saturday night’s deadly shooting at a strip mall that left three people dead and seven others injured. Authorities say the two people who shot into a large crowd outside a daiquiri shop at about 8:35 p.m. are at large.”
* Afghanistan: “In a reversal of a longstanding policy, American diplomats held face-to-face talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar a week ago without Afghan government officials present, two senior Taliban officials said on Saturday.”
* On a related note: “‘There’s a danger that the Taliban will smell weakness,’ one foreign diplomat told NBC News.”
* Philadelphia “will stop giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to a real-time arrest database, saying the agency is misusing the information to conduct sweeps in which otherwise law-abiding immigrants are also being caught up. Federal officials said the decision puts U.S. citizens in danger.”
* FEMA: “The personnel chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency — who resigned just weeks ago — is under investigation after being accused of creating an atmosphere of widespread sexual harassment over years in which women were hired as possible sexual partners for male employees, the agency’s leader said Monday.” * On a related note: “Melvin L. Watt, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is under investigation for allegedly sexually harassing a female employee, the agency said on Friday.” * A fascinating report from USA Today suggests the United States is now “the most dangerous place in the developed world to give birth.” Take a look; it’s worth your time. 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
