Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Netanyahu hangs on: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked set for another term Wednesday as his main rival conceded defeat…. The results affirmed Israel’s tilt to the right and further dimmed hopes of a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
* ICE: “The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is leaving his post Friday, according to an agency spokesperson, the latest departure in a reshuffling of the Department of Homeland Security.”
* I wouldn’t mind hearing more about this: “U.S. national security officials told a private-equity firm partly backed by a Russian billionaire named in the Steele dossier to sell its stake in Cofense Inc., a cybersecurity firm used by major corporations, according to people familiar with the matter.”
* Mitch McConnell rejected the bill before the House took it up: “Net neutrality proponents have won their most significant political victory yet in a years-long effort to ensure that internet service providers are prevented from manipulating traffic on their networks for profit. But any celebration will be short-lived.”
* I wonder if any of the suspects will one day run for governor of Florida: “Federal officials said Tuesday that they had dismantled a $1.2 billion Medicare scheme that spanned continents and ensnared hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting elderly and disabled patients.”
* This is quite an indictment: “The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday announced the indictment of Indivior Plc on charges it engaged in an illegal scheme to increase prescriptions of its opioid addiction treatment Suboxone to make billions of dollars.” * I’d love to know specifically which Republicans were responsible for creating such a farce: “The new Democratic House majority held a hearing Tuesday on the rise of white nationalism, following the mosques massacre in New Zealand, the Pittsburgh synagogue killings and the deadly neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville. Republicans invited Candace Owens to testify.” * Amazing: “Scientists on Wednesday unveiled the first-ever photograph of a black hole, giving humanity a glimpse of a bizarre celestial object that has captivated our imagination for more than a century.” 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
