Today’s edition of quick hits:
* In light of Trump’s purported passion for combating corruption abroad, should we assume he’ll care about this? “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was formally indicted in court on Tuesday on corruption charges hours after he withdrew his request for parliamentary immunity from prosecution.”
* And speaking of Israel: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday released a long-promised Middle East peace plan that, if implemented, would create a conditional path to statehood for Palestinians while recognizing Israeli sovereignty over a significant portion of the West Bank.”
* Opening arguments are now done: “Senate Republicans will meet Tuesday afternoon after President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial adjourns — and the question of whether to call witnesses in the trial is expected to be discussed, four GOP aides told NBC News.”
* For those wondering what might happen next, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters this afternoon, in reference to possible John Bolton testimony, “I’ve said that I think that Mr. Bolton probably has some things that would be helpful for us. We’ll figure out how we might be able to learn that.”
* Today’s earthquake: “A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was felt in Miami, and police said some buildings were being evacuated in the city.”
* Gallagher targets some of his former SEAL teammates: “Chief Special Operator Edward Gallagher, 40, referred to some members of his former platoon as ‘cowards’ and highlighted names, photos and — for those still on active duty — their duty status and current units, something former SEALs say places those men — and the Navy’s mission — in jeopardy.” * The social-media giant’s recent hiring decisions seem to point in a specific political direction. Williams, for example, helped helm Fox & Friends: “Facebook has tapped former Fox News executive producer Jennifer Williams to head video strategy for Facebook News, the dedicated news tab that will launch wide later this year, a source familiar with the move who was not authorized to speak publicly tells us.” * And speaking of media news: “Ben Smith, editor in chief of BuzzFeed News, who built a respected news organization alongside the website’s lighter content, will leave the company and join The New York Times as the newspaper’s top media columnist, according to sources familiar with the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly.” 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
