Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Another escalation: “President Donald Trump said Thursday that his previous promise of ‘fire and fury’ in response to threats from North Korea may have not gone far enough, vowing ‘trouble’ for the country if its actions don’t change.”
* I hope you saw Rachel’s segment on this: “A senior federal law enforcement official told NBC News on Thursday that several U.S agencies are investigating allegations that Cuban officials directed some kind of ultrasound energy at American diplomats in the Havana embassy that left several with damaged hearing.”
* Maybe now he’ll take the crisis seriously? “President Donald Trump threw the weight of the White House behind the fight against the opioid crisis Thursday and declared it a national emergency.”
* This rhetoric sure does sound familiar: “In a pugnacious speech on Wednesday evening before thousands of supporters, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, embroiled in graft investigations, railed against ‘the left’ and ‘the media that serves it,’ contending that they had ganged up to overthrow him.”
* Seems like a potential problem: “Four senior cybersecurity officials are stepping down from their US government positions, raising concerns that an exodus of top leaders may make the federal government more vulnerable to hacking.”
* A case to watch: “Five members of the U.S. armed forces sued President Donald Trump and top military brass, seeking to stop them from banning transgender people from serving ‘in any capacity.’”
* Following up on something Rachel touched on last night: “U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has lost two of her top aides, key departures that come at a time of growing international tensions between the U.S. and North Korea.” * The FBI in late February “raided the offices of GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter’s campaign treasurer as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations the California Republican used tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for personal expenses, court documents show.” * Best wishes for a speedy recovery: “Arkansas’ senior senator says he will have surgery next week as a follow-up to emergency heart surgery he had three years ago. In a handwritten note posted in a photograph on Twitter Thursday, Sen. John Boozman said 30 percent of patients who have had surgery for a torn aorta need additional surgery. He says he will be in Washington when Congress returns from a recess next month.” 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
