Today’s edition of quick hits.

* A ceasefire in which the firing hasn’t ceased: “The U.S. has begun striking Iran again, at Trump’s direction, CENTCOM announced in a post on X. ‘The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,’ CENTCOM said in its announcement.”

* Carroll awaits her overdue check: “A federal judge on Wednesday ordered that writer E. Jean Carroll be paid $5 million plus interest in damages stemming from a judgment in one of her two civil cases against President Donald Trump. Trump had made a last-ditch effort late on Tuesday to stop Carroll from collecting the money.”

* This case shouldn’t have been appealed: “A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected President Donald Trump’s bid to restore his name to the Kennedy Center as he challenges a lower court’s order that stripped his name from the Washington performing arts landmark in June. A three-judge panel said Trump and the Kennedy Center’s board, in their motion to stay the lower court’s order, failed to show they would be ‘irreparably injured’ without his name being restored.”

* A closely watched case in Wisconsin: “Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan was spared from prison Wednesday for ushering a Mexican defendant through her jury room door as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sought to arrest him in a courthouse hallway. U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman fined her $5,000, describing the case as a situation where an otherwise good person, upset by immigration policies in this country, made a bad decision in the moment.”

* A needlessly radical threat: “The Justice Department sent letters Tuesday to top election officials nationwide threatening them with criminal prosecution if noncitizens cast ballots that are counted in elections, according to one of the letters sent to a state and reviewed by MS NOW.”

* Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal: “An Afghan national who fought alongside U.S. forces died from an allergic reaction while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one day after he was detained for deportation proceedings, his death certificate shows.”

* Szabo’s resignation is notable, but so is the fact that a former registered lobbyist for the oil and chemical industries was hired to regulate pollution: “The top air pollution regulator at the Environmental Protection Agency told employees on Tuesday that he is leaving the Trump administration, according to a recording of his remarks obtained by The New York Times.”

* A case worth watching: “A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses the Trump administration of illegally sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, alleging the disclosures violated federal immigration protections and endangered people who fled persecution.”

* A reasonable question: “Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear requested a health update Wednesday from Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has not appeared in public since entering the hospital weeks ago for undisclosed reasons. Beshear sent a letter to McConnell’s office expressing concern over his ability to fulfill his duties.”

* Even by 2026 standards, this is a weird story: “A dispute among Cabinet officials over who could ride in fighter jets flying over Washington on July Fourth escalated to President Donald Trump, who gave the go-ahead to acting attorney general Todd Blanche despite prior objections from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. The backstage air show drama reflected how much the personalities of Trump and his top officials drove the official festivities to mark the nation’s 250th birthday.”

See you tomorrow.

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