Today’s edition of quick hits:
* US Conference of Mayors: “A prominent group of mayors meeting in Washington called off a scheduled White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday after the administration again threatened to withhold funding from nearly two dozen local governments they claimed aren’t following immigration laws.”
* The year has barely started: “The scene in Benton, Ky., on Tuesday was the worst so far in 2018: Two 15-year-old students were killed and 18 more people were injured. But it was one of at least 11 shootings on school property recorded since Jan. 1, and roughly the 50th of the academic year.”
* The final vote was 55 to 43: “The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Alex Azar, a former drug industry executive with pristine conservative credentials, as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.”
* Earthquake: “A magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska triggered a series of tsunami alerts early Tuesday from southern Alaska down the western coast of North America, prompting warnings in some low-lying communities for people to seek higher ground…. There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage.”
* That’s quite a drop: “Travel to the U.S. has been on the decline ever since President Donald Trump took office, and new data shows the slump translates to a cost of $4.6 billion in lost spending and 40,000 jobs. The latest data from the National Travel and Tourism Office shows a 3.3 percent drop in travel spending and a 4 percent decline in inbound travel.” * By the White House’s reasoning, should we blame this on Trump? “Kimberly-Clark, which also produces Huggies diapers, Kotex feminine hygiene products, Cottonelle toilet paper and Scott paper towels, plans to cut up to 5,500 jobs and close or sell about 10 plants.” * I continue to think it’s ridiculous that Yellen wasn’t asked to stay: “Jerome H. Powell sailed to Senate confirmation on Tuesday to become the 16th chairman of the Federal Reserve with a final vote of 84 to 13. He will replace the outgoing Fed chairwoman, Janet L. Yellen, on Feb. 3.” 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
