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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Russia: “An explosion rocked the center of the Russian city of Taganrog near the border with Ukraine on Friday, injuring several people, the Kremlin said. Elsewhere, prominent Russian lawmaker Alexander Khinshtein said in a Telegram post that an explosion had hit a major oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, around 850 miles northwest of Taganrog.”
* The fight with the House will be unpleasant: “The Senate has passed a massive annual defense bill that would deliver a 5.2% pay raise for service members and keep the nation’s military operating, avoiding partisan policy battles to move the bill forward with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. Senate passage, 86-11, sets up a clash with the House, which passed its own version of the annual defense bill along party lines after repeated clashes over social issues like abortion access and diversity initiatives.”
* Speaking of Capitol Hill messes: “House Republican leaders on Thursday punted a second government funding bill and dismissed lawmakers for a six-week break from Washington, hamstrung by conservative demands for more spending cuts and internal division over social issues like abortion.”
* The latest Catholic diocese to agree to a settlement: “The Diocese of Syracuse, New York, has agreed to a $100 million settlement with parishioners who claimed they were preyed on by priests, the biggest payout by a Roman Catholic diocese in the U.S. since at least 2018.”
* For those concerned about drone strikes, I have some good news: “President Biden requires ‘near certainty’ that U.S. drone strikes outside conventional war zones will not kill or injure noncombatants. He also bans ‘signature strikes,’ which target groups of militants even though the United States might not know every targeted individual’s identity, and he further limits the use of lethal force by drones to situations in which ‘capture is not feasible.’ The president also wants to personally approve drone targets outside areas of active hostilities unless U.S. troops or partner forces are ‘under attack or are threatened with an imminent attack.’”
* More encouraging news out of Michigan: “The scientifically discredited practice of so-called conversion therapy, which aims to ‘convert’ LGBTQ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender expectations, is now banned for minors in Michigan under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.”
* GOP opposition to the Endangered Species Act continues: “House Republicans voted Thursday to roll back two Endangered Species Act regulations, designed to protect the lesser prairie chicken and the northern long-eared bat.”
* It’s nice to see occasional old-school politicking: “White House chief of staff Jeff Zients invited all the former occupants of his office — Democrats and Republicans — to the White House this month for a wide-ranging conversation on the presidency, followed by a casual dinner at his D.C. home, according to participants.”
* A sad situation continues: “Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who has been in frail health after a shingles diagnosis this year, appeared to get confused during a committee vote Thursday, adding to concerns about whether the 90-year-old lawmaker can perform her duties despite her physical decline.”
Have a safe weekend.