Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Iraq: “A suicide car bomb exploded at a popular ice cream parlor packed with families breaking their fast as part of the holy month of Ramadan, killing at least 15 people.”
* Cleveland: “The Cleveland police officer who fatally shot Tamir Rice in 2014 has been fired — but not for his role in the death of the 12-year-old, officials announced Tuesday.”
* A heartbreaking attack: “Two men are being hailed as heroes after they were killed while trying to stop a man from abusing two young women on a train in Portland, Oregon, because they appeared to be Muslim.”
* The latest mass shooting: “Corey Godbolt, who is accused of fatally shooting eight people in [Mississippi], has been formally charged with one count of capital murder and seven counts of first degree murder, with further charges expected.”
* North Korea: “For the second time in two days, North Korea was reported to have launched a military projectile Monday morning, prompting South Korean President Moon Jae-in to call a security meeting.”
* Trump’s new ally: “Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte — congratulated last month by U.S. President Donald Trump for his murderous war on drugs — told his soldiers he will back them up if they rape women while enforcing martial law.”
* Refugees: “Despite repeated efforts by President Trump to curtail refugee resettlements, the State Department [last] week quietly lifted the department’s restriction on the number of refugees allowed to enter the United States.”
* The obvious ruling: “A federal judge in Washington has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Hillary Clinton’s lax security surrounding her emails led to the deaths of two of the Americans killed in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.” * A horrible story gets worse: “Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, already serving federal prison time for charges relating to his sexual abuse of children decades ago, is facing a new lawsuit alleging he raped a boy aged 9 or 10 in the early 1970s.” * Keep an eye on this one: “Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, facing an ethics complaint about the unusually low purchase price of the Anchorage mansion he’s living in, took to Twitter on Saturday to personally attack a journalist who has been reporting about the controversy.” 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
