Today’s edition of quick hits:
* A new line of inquiry: “New York State regulators have issued an expansive subpoena to the Trump Organization’s longtime insurance broker, the first step in an investigation of insurance policies and claims involving President Trump’s family business, according to a person briefed on the matter.”
* The FDA chief recently said he wouldn’t quit, which makes me wonder what changed his mind: “Food and Drug Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who used his post to tackle difficult public health issues from youth vaping to opioid addiction – surprising early skeptics worried about his drug industry ties – resigned Tuesday, effective in about a month, according to an administration official.”
* More evidence that deserves to be taken seriously: “The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine isn’t associated with an increased risk of autism, even among kids who are at high risk because they have a sibling with the disorder, a Danish study suggests.”
* Post-Snowden: “The National Security Agency has quietly shut down a system that analyzes logs of Americans’ domestic calls and texts, according to a senior Republican congressional aide, halting a program that has touched off disputes about privacy and the rule of law since the Sept. 11 attacks.”
* Not surprising: “New Attorney General William Barr will maintain oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and not recuse himself as his predecessor did, a Justice Department spokeswoman said Tuesday.”
* Fallout from Khashoggi’s murder: “Senate Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee appeared dissatisfied with a Trump administration briefing Monday on the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.”
* Trouble brewing in Ottawa: “In a serious blow to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a second member of his Cabinet resigned on Monday, saying she had lost confidence in how the government had dealt with an escalating political scandal.” * I can think of some others who should offer the same apology: “Conservative author Jerome Corsi on Monday apologized for writing an article in which he falsely alleged that Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer who was killed in 2016, and Aaron Rich, his brother, had leaked thousands of emails to the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks.” * Laying the groundwork for the next time Dems control the levers of power: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Monday that Democrats will introduce a net neutrality bill to replace the open internet rules that were repealed in 2017.” 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
