Today’s edition of quick hits:
* I have a hunch Rachel will have more on Barr’s testimony on the show: “Attorney General William P. Barr testified Tuesday that he thinks he will be able to release special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report ‘within a week,’ and that he will color-code redacted information so the public will know why various material is being veiled.”
* Election Day in Israel: “Israeli exit polls indicate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and the rival Blue and White party are locked in a race that is too close to call. The Blue and White party, headed by former military chief Benny Gantz, has a narrow lead over the Likud, Channel 12 and Kan TV said.”
* DHS: “President Donald Trump’s Homeland Security shake-up has left almost half its senior leadership in the hands of temporary administrators.”
* Budget caps matter: “A liberal revolt forced House Democratic leaders to call off a planned vote on a two-year budget plan Tuesday, an embarrassing outcome for leadership that raised questions about Congress’ ability to solve huge spending fights that loom later this year.”
* The latest on Trump’s trade war: “The Trump administration is proposing tariffs on new passenger helicopters, various cheeses and wines, ski suits and certain motorcycles in response to harm the U.S. says is being caused by European Union subsidies to Boeing Co. rival Airbus SE.”
* Sadly predictable: “The White House is working on plans to make it harder for immigrants at the border to receive asylum by forcing them to do more to prove they have a credible fear of returning home and putting border agents in charge of the interview process, according to multiple senior administration officials.” * This passed with surprising ease: “Liberals abandoned a last-minute rebellion Tuesday over a bill to change the Internal Revenue Service, with Democratic leaders easily pushing legislation through the House that would bar the IRS from creating free tax preparation software.” * Apparently, the committee has been breaking its own rules for years without knowing it: “The House Education and Labor Committee was forced to change a longtime committee voting practice after the House Parliamentarian said the practice violated House rules.” 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
