Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Rick Gates took the stand at Paul Manafort’s trial today and conceded that he committed crimes with Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman.
* Iran sanctions: “The Trump administration announced it will reintroduce sanctions on Iran at a minute after midnight Monday ET, a consequence of the president’s decision to withdraw from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.”
* Afghanistan: “A Taliban suicide bomber killed three NATO service members on a foot patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday in an attack that also wounded a U.S. soldier and two Afghan troops, NATO said. The Czech military confirmed that the three killed were Czech service members.”
* Indonesia: “The death toll from an earthquake that struck the Indonesian resort islands of Lombok and Bali rose to 98 on Monday as new information came in from areas where thousands of buildings collapsed or were badly damaged, authorities said.”
* The AP has a striking report on a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the United States that “cut secret deals with al-Qaida fighters, paying some to leave key cities and towns and letting others retreat with weapons, equipment and wads of looted cash” across Yemen.
* The day after in Caracas: “Venezuelan authorities have detained six people in connection with an apparent attempt to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro, according to the country’s interior minister, Néstor Luis Reverol.”
* Saudi Arabia doesn’t appear to take criticism well: “Relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia are at a low point after Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland criticized the oil-rich country’s human rights record last week. In response, Saudi Arabia has expelled Canada’s ambassador and suspended trade deals.”
* Wells Fargo just can’t seem to stay out of trouble: “Wells Fargo acknowledged Friday that hundreds of its customers lost their homes over a roughly five-year period because of an error by the bank.’
* According to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, North Korea’s timeline for denuclearization “will be set by” Kim Jong-un. Pompeo added, “The decision is his.” * Sometimes, headlines say a lot, Part I: “The spot where Emmett Till’s body was found is marked by this sign. People keep shooting it up.” * Sometimes, headlines say a lot, Part II: “Now that the UK is stockpiling food, maybe it’s time to admit Brexit is a mistake?” * What was the museum thinking? “The Newseum, an institution with a mission “to increase public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment,” has pulled from its store T-shirts that featured President Donald Trump’s favorite pejorative against the media. Shirts with the phrase, ‘You Are Very Fake News,’ emblazoned on the front were on sale for $19.97 on the merchandise page on the Washington-based journalism museum’s website, along with a version of the familiar red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat.” 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
