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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* If this is accurate, it’s time to adjust expectations accordingly: “The Manhattan grand jury examining Donald Trump’s alleged role in a hush money payment to a porn star isn’t expected to hear evidence in the case for the next month largely due to a previously scheduled hiatus, according to a person familiar with the proceedings.”
* A decision that will likely save lives: “The overdose-reversing drug Narcan could soon be available to buy over the counter without a prescription, the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday. The FDA’s approval of the nasal spray Narcan — the brand name for the drug naloxone — means the medication could be more widely available across the U.S. as the country continues to grapple with an opioid epidemic.”
* Quite a hearing: “Sen. Bernie Sanders and Howard Schultz squared off Wednesday in a highly anticipated hearing about the company’s labor practices, which the former Starbucks CEO defended against criticism.”
* What a bizarre story: “The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service determined Roy McGrath is an ‘international flight risk’ and are offering a combined $20,000 reward for information about his whereabouts. McGrath, 53, was former Gov. Larry Hogan’s chief of staff but resigned after it was revealed he orchestrated an outsized severance package for himself from Maryland Environmental Services, a government-owned nonprofit he ran before taking a post on Hogan’s staff.”
* Understanding the nature of gun trafficking: “Guns taken from cars end up in underground sales and illegal trafficking. After that, they usually turn up at crime scenes. It’s a problem that is plaguing Tennessee’s cities, and national data from the FBI shows that guns are stolen from cars at higher rates here than other places. That’s why the mayors of Nashville, Shelby County, Knoxville and Chattanooga are calling on the state capitol to pass a bill that would impose penalties on gun owners who leave firearms in cars irresponsibly.”
* All is not well in Florida: “A Florida school district has temporarily barred students from viewing a historical film about real-life civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges at an elementary school after a parent filed a complaint this month.”
* Hmm: “Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, collected nearly $600,000 in anonymous donations for a conservative group, according to a report Tuesday that sheds new light on her advocacy.”
* Greene and Massie are quite a duo: “Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie have voted against a GOP-led bill aimed at sanctioning China for harvesting the organs of its citizens. Greene and Massie were the only members of the House of Representatives to oppose the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act on Monday and the legislation passed with a bipartisan majority of 413 to 2.”
See you tomorrow.