Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The list grows: “Two suspicious packages found Thursday addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and another sent to Robert De Niro at his office in downtown Manhattan are similar to the pipe bombs sent to political and media figures in the past few days, according to the FBI.”
* As a rule, I’m skeptical of those who frequently change their story: “Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said on Thursday that new evidence indicated that the killing of the dissident Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi had been ‘premeditated,’ signaling yet another shift in the kingdom’s official story of his disappearance.”
* Devastation in the Northern Marianas: “Typhoon Yutu’s 180 mph winds overturned cars, knocked down hundreds of power poles and left an island of thousands without a medical center — and another without an airport. Buildings were reduced to haphazard piles of tin and wood, and if it wasn’t made of concrete, one resident said, it was probably wiped out by the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit any part of the United States since 1935.”
* Jerome Corsi: “Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office has obtained communications suggesting that a right-wing conspiracy theorist might have had advance knowledge that the emails of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman had been stolen and handed to WikiLeaks, a source familiar with the investigation told NBC News.”
* And speaking of Mueller: “Special counsel Robert Mueller appears to be locked in a dispute with a mystery grand jury witness resisting giving up information sought in the ongoing probe into alleged Trump campaign collusion with Russia.”
* In (sort of) related news: “In early January, Roger Stone, the longtime Republican operative and adviser to Donald Trump, sent a text message to an associate stating that he was actively seeking a presidential pardon for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — and felt optimistic about his chances.”
* A very aggressive move: “Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley on Thursday referred Julie Swetnick, who made sexual misconduct accusations last month against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and her lawyer Michael Avenatti to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.”
* The guy didn’t know who Nathan Bedford Forrest was? “A senior official at the Department of Veterans Affairs said he removed a portrait of the Ku Klux Klan’s first grand wizard from his Washington, D.C., office after offended employees began signing a petition to present to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.” * It wasn’t the first time he’s forgotten to sign something: “President Trump on Wednesday signed sweeping legislation meant to curb the nation’s opioid epidemic, but he appeared to be reminded to sign the legislation by first lady Melania Trump.” * And if you’re ever tempted to argue that the United States is a republic, not a democracy, stop. Just stop. 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
