Today’s edition of quick hits:
* A rare use of the War Powers Act: “The House of Representatives Wednesday passed a measure aimed at withdrawing all U.S. support of the Saudi Arabia-backed war in Yemen, the latest in a series of rebukes to President Trump’s foreign policy from Congress.”
* You might remember Patten as the guy who contributed to the Trump’s Inaugural Committee through a straw donor: “Lobbyist Sam Patten, who pleaded guilty in August to failing to register as a foreign agent, will be sentenced on April 12.”
* Trump’s pal in the Philippines: “The award-winning head of a Philippine online news site that has aggressively covered President Rodrigo Duterte’s policies was arrested Wednesday by government agents in a libel case.”
* Good for them: “The U.S. Conference of Mayors is defending El Paso, Texas, Mayor Dee Margo (R) as he faces attacks from President Trump for his comments about the border fence’s impact on crime.”
* Predictable: “Lindsey Graham has long pushed for legislation to shield special counsel Robert Mueller from President Donald Trump. But now that he’s got the power to do something about it, he’s holding off.” * How conservative politics tends to work: “The wife of Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone is using the email distribution list of former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich to request contributions for her husband’s legal defense.” * That rover served us well for a long time: “The longest-lived robot ever sent from Earth to the surface of another planet, Opportunity snapped pictures of a strange landscape and revealed surprising glimpses into the distant past of Mars for over 14 years. But on Wednesday, NASA announced that the rover is dead.” 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
