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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In New York: “A state appeals court ruled that Donald Trump and his co-defendants in the New York civil fraud case have 10 days to post a $175 million bond, down from the $464 million judgment that was originally due Monday.”
* Also in New York: “The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money case on Monday scheduled the trial to begin on April 15. The ruling by Judge Juan Merchan came after the former president’s attorneys had asked for a lengthy delay or for the falsifying business records charges against their client to be dismissed because of evidence that was turned over just this past month by federal prosecutors.”
* At the United Nations: “After Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution last week, the U.N. Security Council approved a new resolution today, demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends April 9.”
* On a related note: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a delegation that was supposed to visit the White House this week. He accused the U.S. of hurting Israel’s war effort for failing to veto the cease-fire resolution. President Joe Biden requested the delegation to discuss the looming ground invasion of Rafah and for the U.S. to offer alternative options to reduce potential civilian casualties.”
* In Moscow: “As emergency workers waded through the rubble of Moscow’s Crocus City Hall on Sunday, also being picked over was the extent to which the attack might damage Russian President Vladimir Putin — or be used as a pretext to bolster his war in Ukraine. The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility after camouflaged men stormed the concert hall Friday night and killed at least 137 people with guns, knives and bombs.”
* Why ISIS targeted Russia: “In the past few months, deep in the forbidding deserts of central Syria, Russian forces have quietly joined the Syrian military in intensifying attacks against Islamic State strongholds, including bombing what local news reports called the dens and caves where the extremist fighters hide.”
* Poland, as the Kremlin knows, is a NATO member: “A Russian long-range cruise missile heading for western Ukraine briefly entered Polish territory overnight, prompting the country’s armed forces to launch ‘all necessary procedures’ to protect its airspace, including activating Polish and allied aviation.”
* Technically, Congress missed the deadline by a couple of hours, but it was inconsequential: “President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation funding the government through September, the White House confirmed.”
* Climate emergency: “Nearly three months into the new year, 2024 is carrying on where 2023 ended, with a litany of broken weather records that include higher air temperatures, warmer oceans and higher tides. For nine months in a row, each month has set new heat records. That leaves the world’s weather organizations and scientists concerned about the degree to which things continue to be so much warmer than normal — and searching for reasons to explain why that is the case.”
* Notable comments: “Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer signaled his support for age and term limits in the nation’s highest court, in a Sunday interview with NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’”
* Interesting research: “Republicans who get their news from nonconservative mainstream media outlets are less likely to support Donald J. Trump than those who follow conservative outlets. And sizable numbers from the first group say they think Mr. Trump acted criminally, according to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll.”
* All is not well at the platform formerly known as Twitter: “The number of people using X daily is falling, more than a year after tech billionaire Elon Musk bought the app formerly known as Twitter.”
See you tomorrow.