Today’s edition of quick hits:
* This morning’s mass shooting: “House Majority Whip Steve Scalise … underwent surgery and was in critical condition, the hospital said Wednesday afternoon, adding that another victim was in good condition.”
* This afternoon’s mass shooting: “A gunman in a UPS uniform killed three people and wounded two others before turning his weapon on himself as police approached at a company facility in San Francisco early Wednesday, authorities said.”
* This was written before the Bay Area shooting: “The attack Wednesday in Alexandria, Va., is the 154th mass shooting this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks information on shootings in the United States. On 165 days through the calendar year, that averages out to a little less than one mass shooting per day.”
* Flint: “The head of the Michigan health department was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter, the highest-ranking member of Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration to be snagged in a criminal investigation of Flint’s lead-contaminated water.”
* Sanctions: “The Senate easily voted Wednesday to advance a bipartisan agreement to slap new financial penalties on Russia and let Congress weigh in before President Trump can lift sanctions.” The vote was 97 to 2.
* This isn’t just a break with U.S. policy; it’s also a departure from what our European allies want: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that the U.S. would support efforts by Russia and Ukraine to resolve a yearslong conflict outside of an internationally backed agreement signed by both countries, the implementation of which has long been a U.S. condition for lifting sanctions against Moscow.”
* Another AHCA analysis: “The House-passed Obamacare repeal bill would leave 12.6 million more Americans uninsured over the next decade and reduce federal spending by $328 billion, according to an analysis released today by CMS’ Office of the Actuary.”
* On a related note: “The Obamacare insurance markets aren’t as shaky as President Trump seems to believe. On Tuesday, the insurer Centene announced plans to expand aggressively into the state marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act. Centene said it intended to sell individual policies for the first time in Nevada, Missouri and Kansas, and to grow its presence in six other states, including Ohio and Florida.” * I wonder what the White House thinks of this: “The Federal Reserve raised rates Wednesday afternoon at the conclusion of its two-day meeting, signifying a stamp of approval on America’s economic recovery from the nation’s highest fiscal policymakers.” * This is likely to give Paul Ryan heartburn: “Some House Freedom Caucus conservatives want to raise the debt ceiling by a smaller amount than the Trump administration would like — just long enough to clear the 2018 mid-term elections, the group’s leader said Tuesday. The Freedom Caucus has not taken an official position on a specific number. But Chairman Mark Meadows emerged from a group meeting Tuesday night saying some of his conservative colleagues are looking at a $1.5 trillion lift in the nation’s borrowing cap.” 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
