Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Bidenomics gets another boost: “The U.S. economy showed few signs of recession in the second quarter, as gross domestic product grew at a faster-than-expected pace during the period, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.”
* War crime allegations: “President Biden has quietly ordered the U.S. government to begin sharing evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court in The Hague, according to officials familiar with the matter, signaling a major shift in American policy.”
* Good thinking: “President Joe Biden announced new plans to protect workers and communities from extreme heat on Thursday as millions of Americans broil in record-high temperatures.”
* An investigation worth watching: “The Justice Department is investigating the city of Memphis and its police department for possible violations in its use of force, searches and arrests and whether it engaged in discriminatory policing.”
* Do you get the feeling that Mitch McConnell is a bit secretive when it comes to matters of his personal health? “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tripped and fell disembarking from a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport this month, two sources familiar with the incident said.”
* This seems bad: “About a decade ago, Tesla rigged the dashboard readouts in its electric cars to provide ‘rosy’ projections of how far owners can drive before needing to recharge, a source told Reuters. The automaker last year became so inundated with driving-range complaints that it created a special team to cancel owners’ service appointments.”
* On the other hand, there’s some good news on the EV front: “Seven major automakers announced a plan on Wednesday to nearly double the number of fast chargers in the United States in an effort to address one of the main reasons that people hesitate to buy electric cars.”
* I’m glad the Treasury Department will have a climate czar: “Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen will announce today that Ethan Zindler, who most recently served as head of Americas at BloombergNEF, will become the department’s new climate counselor.”
* At the border: “In the 76 days since President Biden imposed tough new restrictions on the nation’s asylum system, the number of migrants crossing the United States’ southern border illegally every day has dropped significantly. Why? The answer to that question is at the heart of a legal challenge to the president’s latest immigration policies, which critics say are undermining America’s decades-old role as a refuge for people fleeing violence, persecution, famine and economic dislocation.”
* Fascinating research: “Across the country, doctors who jeopardized patients’ lives by pushing medical misinformation during the pandemic and its aftermath have faced few repercussions, according to a Washington Post analysis of disciplinary records from medical boards in all 50 states.”
* This Washington Post report on Donald Trump’s banker is fascinating: “Trump needed $225 million. A little-known bank came to the rescue.”
See you tomorrow.
