Today's edition of quick hits:* This won't make the issue go away: "Still regrouping from a federal appeals court's refusal to reinstate President Trump's controversial ban of nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, White House lawyers are working on a rewrite of his executive order that could pass legal muster, NBC News has learned."* This guy's in trouble: "National Security Advisor Mike Flynn discussed hacking-related sanctions with the Russian ambassador before the Trump administration took office, contrary to the public assertions of Vice President Mike Pence and White House spokesman Sean Spicer, a U.S. intelligence official told NBC News."* This was a strange White House event: "President Donald Trump on Friday praised the U.S.-Japan relationship, calling the country an 'important and steadfast ally.'"* Quite a start: "Newly confirmed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had to enter a middle school in Southwest Washington through the back door after protesters blocked the front entrance."* In the middle of the night, the Senate voted to confirm Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Every Republican voted for him; every Democrat voted against him.* Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) "postponed eight executions on Friday, two weeks after a federal judge ruled that the state's lethal injection method might be too painful to be legal."* How badly did Trump screw up the One China fiasco? Chinese state-run media is now openly trolling him on Twitter.* It looked like a near-certainty that Chuck Cooper would be the White House's choice for Solicitor General, but the Republican lawyer withdrew from consideration yesterday.* CEA: "The White House Council of Economic Advisers is being demoted by the Trump administration, which said in a statement Wednesday that the president's cabinet won't include the chairman of the CEA, an official that President Donald Trump also has yet to name."* Ron Lewis: "One of the Army's most promising generals will be demoted to one star and retired following a scandal that involved sex clubs in Seoul and Rome, high-priced booze and indiscretions with young female troops, the Army announced Thursday. Ron Lewis, who had been a three-star general and top aide to the then-Defense secretary Ash Carter, will also lose about $10,000 a year in pension payments due to the demotion."* And it continues to be weird when the White House touts economic data that the president condemned as unreliable in the recent past.Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Friday's Mini-Report, 2.10.17
Today's edition of quick hits.