Today’s edition of quick hits.
* An unusual indictment: “U.S. prosecutors on Wednesday accused a Mexican governor and nine other current and former Mexican officials of participating in a broad conspiracy to help a powerful Mexican cartel import drugs into the United States. In an indictment, U.S. prosecutors said that the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, had protected the Sinaloa cartel from investigations in exchange for bribes and help in getting elected.”
* Keep an eye on this one: “The FBI has not found the fragment that pierced a Secret Service officer’s bulletproof vest at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, leaving investigators unable to say for certain whether the armed attacker shot the officer or how he was injured, according to two people briefed on the probe.”
* The war with Iran: “Two months after the U.S. began a punishing air assault on Iran, President Donald Trump has scarcely progressed past the same spot he was at on Feb. 28: waiting for Iran to surrender.”
* Setting the stage for a Supreme Court fight: “A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement can’t indefinitely detain noncitizens awaiting immigration proceedings or removal without regard for their criminal history or date and point of entry.”
* Quite a losing streak: “A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Arizona seeking access to the state’s detailed voter records, the latest legal setback in a nationwide effort by the Trump administration.”
* A GAO probe worth watching: “The Government Accountability Office plans to examine the Justice Department’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein after a bipartisan group of senators raised concerns that the department violated the law.”
* There’s no defense for the war on science: “The Trump administration has fired members of an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation. … Every member of the current 22-person board was let go, according to terminated member Yolanda Gil.”
* Why do this? “A simple strip of treated paper that can swiftly signal whether a street drug contains deadly fentanyl or other contaminants is a common overdose prevention tool. … But on Friday afternoon, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sent a letter to state health departments and grant recipients across the country, saying that the government would no longer pay for the strips because they are ‘intended for use by people using drugs.’”
* The other Comey case: “Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey and a former federal prosecutor, may proceed with her lawsuit alleging the Justice Department’s decision to fire her last year was politically motivated, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.”
* Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky does not often ask good questions, but there are infrequent exceptions: “Why is the Pentagon holding up Ukraine funds?”
* The list of failed nominees quietly grows a little longer: “The Trump administration has withdrawn the nomination of hospitality executive Scott Socha to lead the National Park Service. Socha, the president of parks and resorts for Delaware North, was nominated to the role of NPS director in February. His nomination was formally withdrawn Monday.”
See you tomorrow.
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