Wednesday’s Mini

May 18, 2023

By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits.

* A new round of aid for Ukraine: "President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States is sending 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine in its war against Russia. The U.S. will also provide the necessary training and supplies needed to operate and run these tanks, he said."

* Conspiracy theories aren't harmless: "Following the latest string of mass shootings in the U.S., the Secret Service published a 60-page report Wednesday detailing trends in mass attacks in public spaces to share patterns with community leaders who could help prevent the next tragedy. Among the findings: Although a personal grievance of some sort was the single most common motive, one-quarter of the attackers studied from 2016 to 2020 were motivated by conspiracy theories or hateful ideologies."

* Oh my: "In the hours before a 6-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher in Virginia this month, school leaders were warned three times that the boy might have a gun, a lawyer for the teacher said on Wednesday, including an account from another child at the school who tearfully reported that the boy had shown him the gun at recess."

* Housing policy: "Under pressure to address the nation's soaring housing costs, the Biden administration on Wednesday announced significant new actions to protect tenants and make renting more affordable. The announcement involves multiple federal agencies that will gather information on unfair housing practices. It also includes a ‘Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights’ that, while not binding, sets clear guidelines to help renters stay in affordable housing."

* A welcome papal declaration: "Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as ‘unjust,’ saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. ‘Being homosexual isn't a crime,’ Francis said during an exclusive interview Tuesday with The Associated Press."

* A case out of Florida worth watching: "Famed civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump on Wednesday warned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that he could sue over his administration's decision to block a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in high schools."

* The DOJ appears to have a compelling case against Google: "The Justice Department is seeking the breakup of Google's business brokering digital advertising across much of the internet, a major expansion of the legal challenges the company faces to its business in the U.S. and abroad."

* GenBioPro's case matters, too: "A company that makes an abortion pill filed a lawsuit Wednesday morning challenging the constitutionality of a state ban on the medication, one in what is expected to be a wave of cases arguing that the federal Food and Drug Administration's approval of the pill takes precedence over such restrictive state laws."

See you tomorrow.

Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics."