Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Look for more on this on tonight’s show: “President Donald Trump reported that he reimbursed personal attorney Michael Cohen for costs apparently incurred in paying adult film star Stormy Daniels for a nondisclosure agreement, according to a federally required annual financial disclosure form released by the Office of Government Ethics on Wednesday.”
* North Korea “canceled high-level talks with South Korea on Wednesday and threatened to walk away from a historic summit with President Donald Trump to protest ongoing military exercises involving the U.S.”
* More fallout: “Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Wednesday that its top lawyer is retiring over a deal to hire U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as a consultant.”
* The final vote was 52 to 47: “The U.S. Senate voted on Wednesday to save net neutrality, marking only the second time Congress has taken any significant legislative stance on the contentious topic.”
* In case you missed last night’s show: “A federal judge in Washington refused Tuesday to throw out criminal charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.”
* The latest investigation: “The Justice Department and the F.B.I. are investigating Cambridge Analytica, the now-defunct political data firm, and have sought to question former employees and banks that handled its business, according to an American official and other people familiar with the inquiry.”
* Not surprising: “The Trump administration disbanded a federal advisory committee on climate change last year because of concerns that it did not have enough industry representatives, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.”
* She’ll be confirmed: “Gina Haspel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the CIA, won the backing of the Senate intelligence committee on Wednesday, paving the way for her expected confirmation to lead the spy agency.” * NAFTA: “President Donald Trump’s plans to rewrite the North American Free Trade Agreement this year looked unattainable Tuesday after negotiators appeared too far apart to strike a deal before a deadline this week.” * Shouldn’t this have been 9-0? “A lawyer cannot tell a jury that his client is guilty without the defendant’s consent, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, no matter whether the evidence of guilt is overwhelming or that it would be a good legal strategy. Such a decision belongs to the accused alone, the court ruled in a 6-to-3 decision written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” 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
