Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Today’s mass shooting: “At least three people were injured in a shooting at an office building in Middleton, Wisconsin, authorities said. Police shot and killed the gunman, who hadn’t been identified. University of Wisconsin Health University Hospital received four patients from the shooting, said a spokeswoman, Lisa Brunette.”
* Today’s other mass shooting: “At least five people were shot inside a magisterial district judge’s office in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The shooting took place around 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon in Masontown, which is about 65 miles south of Pittsburgh.”
* Korean talks: “Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, finally committed on Wednesday to some concrete steps toward denuclearization — most notably an offer to ‘permanently dismantle’ facilities that are central to the production of fuel for nuclear warheads — but they fell far short of what American officials have demanded.”
* Migrant kids: “The Trump administration is unable to account for the whereabouts of nearly 1,500 migrant children who illegally entered the United States alone this year and were placed with sponsors after leaving federal shelters, according to congressional findings released on Tuesday.”
* New information: “A former schoolmate of Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser wrote a Facebook post saying she recalls hearing about the alleged assault incident involving the future Supreme Court nominee, though she says she has no first-hand information to corroborate the accuser’s claims.”
* The shutdown decision will rest solely with Trump: “The Senate on Tuesday passed a short-term spending bill that would keep the government running through Dec. 7, aiming to avert a government shutdown and put off a fight over funding for President Trump’s border wall until after the midterm elections.”
* FEMA’s John Veatch: “A senior FEMA official has been suspended without pay in connection with a Department of Homeland Security inspector general investigation into the improper use of government vehicles by FEMA administrator Brock Long, according to two current government officials.” * The EPA’s Arthur A. Elkins Jr.: “The EPA’s inspector general, who led multiple investigations into former Administrator Scott Pruitt’s spending and management practices at the agency, will leave in October, his office announced Tuesday.” * It’s quite an administration: “Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao flew on Federal Aviation Administration planes rather than commercial flights on seven occasions between January and August 2017, newly released records show — including one flight to and around Europe that cost taxpayers an estimated $68,892 for her and five staffers. All told, Chao’s flights on the FAA planes cost an estimated $93,977.84, the records show.” 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
