Today’s edition of quick hits:
* A noticeable omission: Rex Tillerson “thanked his colleagues in the State Department. He thanked Defense Secretary James Mattis. He thanked the ‘300 million-plus’ Americans. He thanked just about everyone. Except President Donald Trump.”
* U.K.: “British Prime Minister Theresa May … gave Russia until midnight Tuesday to explain why a Soviet-developed nerve agent was used in Britain.”
* I guess he’s not quitting anytime soon: “U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Afghanistan’s capital on an unannounced visit as coalition forces, bolstered by more than 3,500 additional American forces, prepare for spring fighting season against the Taliban and Islamic State fighters.”
* California: “The future of President Donald Trump’s promised border wall with Mexico lies in massive pieces in the California desert and he inspected the prototypes Tuesday in his first visit to the state as president.”
* Texas: “Investigators in Austin searched Tuesday for answers behind the string of explosive packages that detonated recently at homes around the city, describing the devices as sophisticated while struggling to identify who had sent them out or why.” * Do deficit hawks still exist? “The U.S. government had a $215 billion budget shortfall in February as revenues into the government’s coffers fell and outlays increased, the Treasury Department said on Monday. That compared with a budget deficit of $192 billion in the same month last year, according to Treasury’s monthly budget statement.” * I’m sure this was an accident and I’m relieved no one was hurt, but I think there’s a larger point to be considered about the dangers of putting more guns around children: “A school resource officer accidentally fired his gun inside a middle school in Alexandria, Virginia, Tuesday morning, police say. No one was hurt.” 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
