Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The longest-continuous speech in the history of the chamber: “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took the rare step Wednesday of giving a marathon speech supporting Democrats’ attempts to legalize the status of young immigrant ‘dreamers,’ in a bid to pressure Republicans to act.”
* Syria: “At least 80 people were killed on Tuesday in Syrian government air and artillery strikes on besieged suburbs of the capital, Damascus, one of the last rebel-held strongholds. It was the bloodiest day so far in a weekslong escalation that prompted United Nations officials to issue an unusual call for an immediate cease-fire.”
* Puerto Rico: “The mission for the Federal Emergency Management Agency was clear: Hurricane Maria had torn through Puerto Rico, and hungry people needed food. Thirty million meals needed to be delivered as soon as possible…. By the time 18.5 million meals were due, [FEMA contractor] had delivered only 50,000.”
* Will the RNC give back his money? “Billionaire casino magnate Steve Wynn stepped down as CEO of Wynn Resorts, the company said Tuesday.”
* I could’ve sworn Trump said he’d produce the opposite result: “The United States trade deficit with China climbed to its highest level on record in 2017, a trend that could prompt the Trump administration toward tougher trade actions in the coming months.”
* The CBO’s latest findings: “Americans enrolling in college over the next decade would receive about $15 billion less in subsidies than under current law if House Republicans pass their education bill, according to an official estimate Tuesday.” * Leandro Rizzuto Jr: “President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the ambassador to Barbados and several other Caribbean countries spread fringe conspiracy theories and unfounded attacks about Trump’s political opponents on Twitter, including ones about Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, during the 2016 presidential election.” * This headline refers to a helpful statistic, spanning Trump’s entire presidency: “Before drop, Trump boasted about the stock market once every 35 hours.” 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
