By
Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The bump did not go unnoticed: “President Joe Biden arrived Friday in Saudi Arabia where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a controversial sit-down he had earlier insisted would not take place. The crown prince greeted Biden as he arrived at the royal palace where the two leaders exchanged a fist bump, but no handshake.”
* On a related note: “President Joe Biden said he raised the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the beginning of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday. ‘I said, very straightforwardly, for an American president to be silent on an issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am,’ Biden said. ‘I’ll always stand up for our values.’”
* Monkeypox vaccine news: “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday that it has ordered an additional 2.5 million doses of monkeypox vaccines to respond to the escalating outbreak.”
* An update in the Jayland Walker case: "Jayland Walker, the Black motorist killed by Ohio police last month, suffered 46 gunshot wounds in the hail of officer gunfire, the medical examiner’s office revealed Friday. The 46 shots were from entrance and graze wounds, Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa Kohler said at a news conference announcing a summary of the autopsy findings.”
* Reps. Louie Gohmert and Rick Allen were the only “no” votes on this: “The House overwhelmingly passed a bill on Friday to suspend tariffs on imported baby formula.... The bill passed 421-2, with two Republicans voting against it, comes amid a continuing baby formula shortage in the United States.”
* Senate filibusters await: “The House passed two bills Friday on largely party-line votes aimed at protecting abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.”
* A respectful postponement: “The New York attorney general’s office said Friday it’s postponing the depositions of former President Donald Trump and two of his children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, because of the death of Ivana Trump.”
* NDAA: “The House on Thursday passed, 329-101, its version of the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which would authorize $840.2 billion in national defense spending, after sifting through hundreds of amendments and hours of debate.”
* I’m curious to know why Adam Kinzinger brought this up: “Members of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol are discussing the next steps in their investigation, including whether to seek an interview with former Vice President Mike Pence and potentially ex-President Donald Trump, according to one of the Republican members of the panel.”
Have a safe weekend.