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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Expect a serious debate over this change: “The U.S. will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine to boost its military in the fight against Russia, the Pentagon announced Friday, despite concerns from human rights groups and some U.S. allies that their use will lead to more civilian casualties.”
* The sentence in an infamous mass shooting: “The Texas man who fatally shot 23 people at a Walmart store in El Paso in a targeted attack against people of Mexican descent was sentenced Friday to 90 consecutive life terms. Patrick Crusius, of Allen, agreed in February to the back-to-back life sentences when he pleaded guilty to 90 federal counts, including 45 hate crime charges.”
* One hundred days later: “White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday said the U.S. has been in contact with Russian officials to press for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich as Friday marked the 100th day of the journalist being detained by the Russian government. Sullivan said he also spoke with Gershkovich’s family representatives and Wall Street Journal officials on Friday about the status of the case and the administration’s efforts to win the reporter’s release.”
* Difficult diplomacy: “U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended American actions to protect its national security in prepared remarks for a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.”
* There’s no reason to believe this will get better in the future: “Another day, another heat record. Thursday was Earth’s hottest day on record, based on a preliminary and unofficial data source, scientists said. It beat a mark set Tuesday and Wednesday, which — in turn — had broken the record set Monday. The records come as scientists say the planet is the hottest it has been in roughly 125,000 years.”
* On the other hand, some are taking climate action seriously: “Some of the largest manufacturers of heavy trucks and engines in the country have agreed to accept a California plan to ban sales of new diesel big rigs by 2036 under a deal aimed in part at thwarting potential litigation and maintaining a single national standard for truck pollution rules.”
* In related news: “After four years of rising destruction in Brazil’s Amazon, deforestation dropped by 33.6% during the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term, according to government satellite data released Thursday.”
* This is not a flattering story for New York City’s mayor: “Mayor Eric Adams has often talked about a wrinkled photo of a fallen police officer that he kept in his wallet. Now that photo and the story have been called into question.”
Have a safe weekend.