Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Opening arguments continue: “House impeachment managers, led by Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), began the second day of their opening arguments against President Trump by focusing on alleged abuse of power, one of the two articles of impeachment approved last month by the House.”
* WHO sees an emergency, but not a global health emergency: “Spread of the new coronavirus that originated in China has not yet reached a level that would deem it a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization said on Thursday. The virus has sickened more than 600 people, and 17 have died.”
* Water pollution: “The Trump administration on Thursday finalized a rule to strip away environmental protections for streams, wetlands and groundwater, handing a victory to farmers, fossil fuel producers and real estate developers who said Obama-era rules had shackled them with onerous and unnecessary burdens.”
* Visa restrictions: “The Trump administration is coming out with new visa restrictions aimed at restricting ‘birth tourism,’ in which women travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can have a coveted U.S. passport.”
* Carter Page surveillance: “The Justice Department secretly acknowledged last month that it had ‘insufficient predication’ to continue monitoring a former Trump campaign adviser during the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to records made public Thursday — a notable admission likely to fuel continued criticism over how the bureau handled the high-profile case.”
* Keep expectations low: “Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel would travel to the White House next week along with his chief election rival and opposition leader, Benny Gantz, to discuss the ‘prospect’ of peace in the Middle East.” * National Archives: “Four days after apologizing for altering a photo of the 2017 Women’s March, the National Archives replaced it with an unaltered copy of the original, according to an announcement on the agency’s website Wednesday.” * A giant exits the stage: “Jim Lehrer, the venerable journalist who co-founded the PBS’ nightly newscast, died peacefully in his sleep Thursday, the network said. He was 85.” 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
