Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Family separations: “A federal judge has agreed to extend Tuesday’s deadline for the government to reunite 102 migrant children under the age of 5 who were separated from their parents under President Donald Trump’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy.”
* Political turmoil in the U.K.: “Britain’s foreign secretary and two other ministers quit Monday amid a deepening crisis over Brexit that threatens to topple Prime Minister Theresa May. The resignation of the foreign minister, Boris Johnson, came after Brexit Secretary David Davis and junior Brexit minister Steve Baker stepped down overnight, blowing apart May’s claim to have finally united her squabbling government on the issue.”
* Heartbreaking conditions in Japan: “At least 100 people are thought to have died after record rainfall caused flooding and landslides in western Japan, a government spokesman says. Dozens more are reported to be missing and electricity supplies have been hit. Since Thursday, parts of western Japan have received three times the usual rainfall for the whole of July. Two million people have been ordered to evacuate as rivers burst their banks.”
* Eventually, Team Trump will probably need to say something about this: “The wife of Bill Shine, the new White House deputy chief of staff for communications, has come under scrutiny for racially charged remarks and unfounded medical theories posted to her Twitter account, according to a report by the website Mediaite.”
* BLS: “Top officials at the Bureau of Labor Statistics expressed alarm over a tweet by President Donald Trump last month touting a jobs report before it was officially released, according to newly obtained emails.” * The latest from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: “CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English will drop her months-long legal challenge to Mick Mulvaney for the leadership of the embattled agency, saying on Friday that she will leave the consumer watchdog early next week.” * The J20 story appears to have run its course: “The United States attorney’s office for the District of Columbia is dismissing the remaining cases against protesters arrested on the day of Donald J. Trump’s inauguration, ending a legal battle that began more than a year and a half ago.” 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
