Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Today’s posturing: “President Donald Trump on Thursday said the public will ‘find out’ about a U.S. response to Iran shooting down an American military drone in the Persian Gulf that the president insisted was in international territory.”
* The House is likely to follow on this: “The Senate voted Thursday to block the Trump administration from selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, launching a new challenge to President Donald Trump’s steadfast alliance with the country amid rising tensions in the Middle East.”
* In related news: “The Trump administration on Thursday released a list of countries that recruit child soldiers but chose not to include Saudi Arabia, prompting sharp criticism from human rights groups.”
* In this case, Republicans literally left the state: “Oregon Gov. Kate Brown deployed the state police Thursday to try to round up Republican lawmakers who fled the Capitol in an attempt to block a vote on a landmark climate plan that would be the second of its kind in the nation.”
* I hope you caught Rachel’s coverage of this last night: “The State Department official in charge of U.S. arms control negotiations with Moscow and her husband had a years-long friendship with GOP operative Paul Erickson, the former boyfriend of convicted unregistered Russian agent Maria Butina — ties this official did not disclose to her superiors or to Congress during her confirmation process in the spring of 2018.”
* Remember him? “Felix Sater, a Russian-born real estate developer, is set to testify Friday before the House Intelligence Committee about his experience working on a proposed Trump tower project in Moscow during the 2016 election, according to Sater and other people familiar with his scheduled appearance.”
* Census fight: “A new order by a federal judge in Maryland sets up a potential new block against the Trump administration’s plans to add a citizenship question to forms for the upcoming 2020 census.” * The Tubman $20: “Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, asked the Treasury Department’s inspector general on Wednesday to open an investigation into delayed design concepts of a new $20 note featuring the image of Harriet Tubman that were set to be unveiled next year.” * A story worth keeping an eye on: “Jared Kushner is working with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham to try and broker a bipartisan deal on asylum laws, which could be the next step in Congress’ piecemeal approach to immigration reform after passage of a $4.5 billion border spending bill next week.” 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
