Today’s edition of quick hits.<\/b>
\nToday\u2019s edition of quick hits:
* That\u2019s quite a drug bust: \u201cThe sensitive nose of a drug-sniffing dog has led to what federal officials say is the largest seizure in US history of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for the majority of overdose deaths.\u201d
* Stone\u2019s stuff: \u201cFederal investigators probing Roger Stone, the former Trump campaign official indicted last week in the Russia probe, have seized multiple hard drives containing years of communication records from cellphones and email accounts, the special counsel\u2019s office said Thursday. Robert Mueller\u2019s prosecutors, in a new court filing, described the evidence as \u2018voluminous and complex\u2019 in asking a judge to delay his trial to give them more time to sift through the seized devices.\u201d
* Pelosi\u2019s quote is the one to pay attention to: \u201cPresident Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday hardened their positions about a border wall, casting doubt on the prospects of Capitol Hill negotiations intended to reach a compromise and avoid a second government shutdown. \u2018There\u2019s not going to be any wall money in the legislation,\u2019 Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters.\u201d
* Security clearances: \u201cA White House security specialist has been suspended without pay for defying her supervisor Carl Kline, less than a week after NBC News reported Kline approved Jared Kushner for top secret clearance over the objections of career staff. The specialist, Tricia Newbold, had filed a discrimination complaint against Kline three months ago.\u201d
* Seems like a reasonable suggestion: \u201cSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer swiped at President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening, urging America\u2019s top intelligence official to stage an intervention and educate the commander in chief about how important it is for him to back the U. S. intelligence community.\u201d
* Could Wheeler be in trouble? \u201cKey congressional Republicans voiced concerns Tuesday about the prospect that EPA will not set drinking water limits for two toxic chemicals \u2013 an issue that raises new hurdles for acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler\u2019s bid to permanently lead the agency.\u201d
* Interesting report from Axios: \u201cAfter President Trump was elected, private equity firms rushed out to raise giant new infrastructure funds. It was a mistake.\u201d
* Given his previous mockery of her appearance, I imagine this was a little awkward: \u201cPresident Trump interviewed Heidi Cruz for the job of World Bank president although he\u2019s not offering the post to the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. executive and wife of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.\u201d
* The end of a bizarre story: \u201cA Kentucky jury has awarded U. S. Sen. Rand Paul more than $580,000 in damages stemming from a November 2017 dispute in which a neighbor tackled the Republican lawmaker, who was doing yardwork at his home in Bowling Green.\u201d
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.<\/p>\n