Today’s edition of quick hits.

* The House Oversight Committee has questions that Maxwell doesn’t want to answer: “Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded the Fifth Amendment while appearing virtually before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Monday as part of a high-profile inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein’s activities and the federal government’s handling of related files.”

* On a related note, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, said, “Ghislaine Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions. This is obviously very disappointing.”

* In the Middle East: “Israel’s government has taken unilateral steps to give itself greater control over the occupied West Bank, challenging President Trump’s opposition to Israeli annexation of the territory and possibly violating international law.”

* The CFPB: “One year after the Trump administration took control of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the consumer watchdog has largely retreated from enforcement and regulatory work, changes that consumer advocates and Democrats now estimate have cost Americans at least $19 billion in financial relief.”

* Two Trump-appointed judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals: “A federal appeals court Friday night backed the Trump administration’s policy to lock up the vast majority of people it is seeking to deport without offering a chance for bond, even if they have no criminal records and have resided in the country for decades.”

* A far more encouraging ruling: “A federal judge on Friday extended an order blocking the Trump administration from withholding funds for child care and social services in five Democratic-led states, keeping at bay for now cuts that the states say are politically motivated and would harm hundreds of thousands of people.”

* A key ICE lawyer exits: “Amid a torrent of legal challenges to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, the chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has departed. The top lawyer, Jim Stolley, retired after 31 years of service, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW in an email.”

* An awaited ruling: “A federal judge is expected to soon rule on whether President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom project can proceed, zeroing in on whether the administration’s plan to rely on private donations allows it to bypass congressional approval.”

See you tomorrow.

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