Today’s edition of quick hits.
* A breakthrough in Mexico: “Claudia Sheinbaum has made history as the first woman elected president of Mexico, according to projections from the nation’s official quick count.”
* More hostages who didn’t survive: “Four Israelis taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 and a paramedic who was killed after he ‘left his home to save lives’ have been confirmed dead, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday. The families of hostages Nadav Popplewell, Yoram Metzger, Amiram Cooper and Haim Perry were informed that they are ‘no longer alive’ and that Hamas has their remains, the IDF said.”
* Mass shooting in Akron: “A man is dead and more than 20 people were injured early Sunday in a shooting at a large birthday party in a neighborhood in Akron, Ohio, according to police. Detectives believe that someone in a vehicle opened fire on partygoers just after midnight and that someone at the event may have returned fire, Police Chief Brian Harding said.”
* Russia and the Olympics: “Banned from the 2024 Olympics over the war in Ukraine, Russia has mounted a secret influence campaign seeking to discredit the Games and sow fears of terrorism, according to a new report from Microsoft’s threat intelligence unit.”
* A new day for faith-based organizations: “For decades, Catholic Charities and other faith-based organizations have played a crucial role helping federal authorities and local governments manage influxes of migrants. Their work has been funded with bipartisan support in Congress. … But after President Biden took office in 2021 promising a more humane approach to migration, these faith-based groups have increasingly become the subjects of conspiracy theories and targets for far-right activists and Republican members of Congress, who accuse them of promoting an invasion to displace white Americans and engaging in child trafficking and migrant smuggling. The organizations say those claims are baseless.”
* An interesting new state law: “A new law in Vermont — the first of its kind in the U.S. — will require fossil fuel companies to pay for a share of the costs of weather disasters fueled by climate change. Republican Gov. Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law on Thursday night without his signature, after it passed in the state Legislature with the support of a supermajority of Democrats.”
* The D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility on Giuliani: “Another legal disciplinary board in Washington has concluded that Rudy Giuliani, who sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, should lose his law license.”
* Best wishes for a speedy recovery: “Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, announced Sunday that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment. Jackson Lee said it is ‘likely’ that she will be ‘occasionally absent from Congress,’ but she assured her district, which encompasses part of Houston, that her office ‘will continue to deliver the vital constituent services that you deserve and expect.’”
See you tomorrow.
