Today’s edition of quick hits:
* I’m not sure why the right saw Morrison’s testimony as good news: “Tim Morrison, the top Russia and Europe adviser on President Trump’s National Security Council, on Thursday corroborated the testimony of a senior U.S. diplomat who last week offered House impeachment investigators the most detailed account to date for how Trump tried to use his office to pressure Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden, according to people familiar with his deposition.”
* The shadow foreign policy: “Two veteran foreign service officers revealed new details to House impeachment investigators on Wednesday about the unconventional efforts by President Donald Trump’s associates to influence U.S. policy toward Ukraine, according to copies of their opening statements obtained by POLITICO.”
* I could’ve sworn Trump told us that North Korea no longer did this: “North Korea fired two projectiles toward the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea’s military, as the country ratchets up pressure on the U.S. amid stalled nuclear-disarmament talks.”
* Remember, Trump put a formal coal lobbyist in charge of the EPA: “The Trump administration is expected to roll back an Obama-era regulation that was to limit the leaching of dangerous heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury from the ash produced by coal-fired power plants, according to two people familiar with the plans.”
* It’s a nice change of pace when the Senate does some work: “The Senate on Thursday took a first step toward advancing some government funding, passing a bipartisan package of bills that would pay for the operations of major agencies such as Agriculture, Transportation and Interior.” * How pitiful: “Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who has been practically jumping up and down for President Donald Trump’s attention lately, filed an ethics complaint on Wednesday against Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA).” * Of course: “Less than a month after he was named President Donald Trump’s cybersecurity adviser in 2017, Rudy Giuliani walked into an Apple store in downtown San Francisco. He wasn’t looking for a new gadget. Giuliani was looking for help. He was locked out of his iPhone because he had forgotten the passcode and entered the wrong one at least 10 times.” See you tomorrow.
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
