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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Crisis conditions in Ecuador: “Violence erupted across Ecuador this week after a well-known gang leader disappeared from prison. Explosions, looting, gunfire and burning vehicles were reported, and there were uprisings in several prisons. In the largest city, Guayaquil, gunmen stormed a TV studio during a live broadcast on Tuesday. President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency, imposing a nationwide curfew and authorizing the military to patrol the streets and take control of prisons.”
* In the Red Sea: “The United States and its allies are weighing how to shut down attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia against commercial ships in the Red Sea, after American and British officials said on Tuesday that their warships had intercepted one of the largest barrages yet of drones and missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
* Ryan Swoope sprayed a police officer with chemical irritant, temporarily blinding him: “An Ohio man was sentenced today on a felony assault charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. ... Ryan Swoope, 29, of Perry, Ohio, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers.”
* Ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election: “China said it would ‘never compromise’ on its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan as the United States and China concluded two days of military talks in Washington, part of an effort to restore communication between the two countries’ militaries.”
* A growing target list: “[O]ther political figures and members of the judiciary have been ensnared in swatting incidents in recent weeks — what law enforcement experts say is a product of a hostile political climate during an intense presidential election season. ... The spate of instances comes amid a backdrop of intimidation and harassment waged against public officials.”
* A misguided effort in Maine: “The Democrat-controlled Maine Legislature voted down a Republican effort to impeach the state’s chief election official for kicking former President Trump off the ballot for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. In an 80-60 party-line vote, the state House struck down the impeachment resolution going after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D).”
* The beleaguered congresswoman apparently has one less thing to worry about: “Rep. Lauren Boebert has been cleared of domestic violence allegations made by her ex-husband during an altercation at a Colorado restaurant, police said Wednesday. Jayson Boebert had accused the congresswoman of punching him in the face but he later recanted, Silt police said in a statement.”
* A new low? “Elon Musk endorsed a tweet Tuesday that suggested graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have IQs approaching ‘borderline intellectual impairment.’”
See you tomorrow.