Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Afghanistan: “A U.S. military service member was killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the U.S. military said in a statement, without providing additional details.”
* A tentative deal in L.A.: “The Los Angeles Unified School District and its teachers reached a tentative labor deal that could end a six-day strike, officials said on Tuesday. Mayor Eric Garcetti praised both the union and LAUSD administrators.”
* Police found 23 firearms and three improvised explosive devices: “Three men and a juvenile were arrested for allegedly plotting to attack Islamberg, a predominantly Muslim community in upstate New York.”
* Quiet talks have been ongoing for a while: “U.S. intelligence officials have met with North Korean counterparts secretly for a decade, a covert channel that allowed communications during tense times, aided in the release of detainees and helped pave the way for President Trump’s historic summit last year with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.”
* Someone should probably alert the White House: “Greenland’s enormous ice sheet is melting at such an accelerated rate that it may have reached a ‘tipping point,’ and could become a major factor in sea-level rise around the world within two decades, scientists said in a study published on Monday.”
* It’s hard to see this as benign: “The Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump’s company preliminary approval for another five trademarks this month, as her father’s administration pushes ahead on trade negotiations with China.” * I get the sense the administration isn’t fully prepared for this: “The White House and congressional Democrats are heading for a clash over the ratification of the revised Nafta agreement, raising the prospect of a protracted stand-off and possibly new negotiations with Canada and Mexico.” * Remember her? “Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is heading to Washington to take a new post with a leading lobbying firm. Ballard Partners announced Tuesday the well-known Republican politician will head the firm’s new regulatory compliance office. The firm is headed by Brian Ballard, who has close ties to President Donald Trump.” 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
