Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Irma: “Gov. Rick Scott urged residents in evacuation zones, including more than a half-million people in Miami-Dade County, to leave their homes as the Category 4 storm with its 155-mph winds lurched closer. In total, about 1.4 million people across Florida and Georgia, which is also in the cross hairs, were ordered to evacuate.”
* Mexico: “The death toll from the most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in a century rose to 30 and is expected to climb Friday as rescue crews searched through the ruins of collapsed buildings in the coastal areas closest to the epicenter.”
* Ninety Republicans ended up voting against this: “The House passed a $15 billion disaster relief package Friday morning with a broad bipartisan majority, sending the measure to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law later in the day.”
* On a related note: “House Republicans hissed and booed senior Trump administration officials Friday as they pitched President Donald Trump’s deal with Democrats to increase the nation’s borrowing authority.”
* Don’ t be surprised if Rachel gets to this on tonight’s show: “Russia’s newly installed ambassador to Washington said on Friday that he had a warm and constructive meeting with U. S. President Donald Trump, Russian news agencies reported.”
* The latest in a series of defeats: “President Donald Trump’s travel ban policy suffered another defeat Thursday as an appeals court rejected the administration’s attempt to deny grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins of Americans a temporary exemption from the controversial executive order.”
* Equifax: “A massive cyber security incident at Equifax – one of the largest credit reporting agencies in the United States – may have exposed private information belonging to 143 million people – nearly half of the U. S. population.”
* This is quite unexpected: “It’s time for America to consider seriously a single-payer, government-run health system, says Max Baucus, Montana’s longest serving U. S. senator, former ambassador to China and one of the chief architects of Obamacare.”
* Ever get the feeling Don Young has impulse-control issues? “Veteran Alaska Rep. Don Young has apologized after he lashed out at a freshman lawmaker during a House floor debate, saying she ‘doesn’ t know a damn thing what she’s talking about.’ ”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
