Today’s edition of quick hits:
* UK: “It took hundreds of British police officers and six months of meticulous investigation to charge two alleged Russian intelligence officers Wednesday in connection with the attempted murder of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. But it is extremely unlikely that Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov — names which are believed to be aliases — will ever face justice.”
* An unexpected subpoena: “Jerome Corsi, a conspiracy theorist and political commentator with connections to the former Trump adviser Roger J. Stone Jr., has been subpoenaed to testify on Friday before the grand jury in the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference and whether Trump associates conspired with the effort, his lawyer said on Wednesday.”
* Shutdown deadline: “Republican lawmakers on Wednesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s move away from a possible government shutdown, saying party leaders wanted ‘no drama’ ahead of the Nov. 6 election to decide whether fellow conservatives keep hold of Congress.”
* Kyl’s swearing in: “Arizona Republican Jon Kyl rejoined the Senate on Wednesday, taking the seat long held by the late senator John McCain and restoring the GOP’s 51-to-49 majority.”
* On a related note: “In addition to Kyl joining the Senate, lawmakers tapped Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) to replace McCain as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.”
* An unexpected move: “The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, eased up slightly on his demands to question President Trump in the Russia investigation, a shift that came as the president’s lawyers, who have advised him against sitting for an interview, are fighting his desire to answer investigators’ queries.” * John W. Nicholson Jr.” “The general, who spent 31 months at the helm of a quagmire of a mission that has shaped his career over four tours of the country and has cast a shadow on a generation of American military leaders, said he wanted to speak from the heart. ‘It is time for this war in Afghanistan to end,’ General Nicholson said.” * EPA: “Lax oversight allowed Scott Pruitt’s security costs while he was Environmental Protection Agency chief to more than double to $3.5 million in less than a year, the cabinet department’s internal watchdog said in a report Tuesday.” 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
