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Monday's Mini-Report, 1.9.17

Today's edition of quick hits.
Today's edition of quick hits:* Florida: "The Iraq war veteran accused of killing five people in a Florida airport appeared in court Monday and was told he could face the death penalty. Esteban Santiago gave brief yes or no answers to a federal judge who sought make sure he understood the charges against him, according to The Associated Press."* Iran: "A U.S. warship fired warning shots at Iranian boats approaching the destroyer at high speeds as it sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Pentagon."* Pakistan probably could've found better uses for that money: "Pakistan's military claimed Monday that it had fired its first submarine-launched cruise missile. The announcement is likely to raise tensions between Pakistan's military and arch-rival India's million-man army."* Israel: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long inserted himself into Israel's fierce newspaper wars to bolster his grip on power. But an Israeli television station reported on Sunday that the police are looking into his involvement as part of a possible corruption case that could undermine his political future."* Russia: "The Obama administration plans to blacklist five Russians, including the government's chief public investigator who is a close aide to President Vladimir V. Putin, for human rights abuses, throwing down a gauntlet to President-elect Donald J. Trump nearly two weeks before he takes office with a promise to thaw relations with Russia."* A step backward: "Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) on Saturday signed controversial legislation that will allow workers to refuse to pay union dues, a victory for Republicans who control the state government for the first time in nearly a century."* An important angle: "As the dust settles on Russian interference in the United States election, journalists are confronting an aspect that has received less scrutiny than the hacking itself but poses its own thorny questions: Moscow's ability to steer Western media coverage by doling out hacked documents."* The VW scandal isn't over: "The F.B.I. has arrested a Volkswagen executive in Florida, accusing him of playing a central role in a broad conspiracy to keep United States regulators from discovering that diesel vehicles made by the company were programmed to cheat on emissions tests."* A smart piece from Scott Lemieux on the "real opportunities" for blue states that intend to challenge the Trump administration's policies in federal courts. Look for former Attorney General Eric Holder to play a major role in this process.* Doing the right thing: "Secretary of State John Kerry apologized to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community Monday, acknowledging that the State Department has had a long history of discrimination against applicants and employees."Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.