Wednesday’s Mini-Report, 1.3.18

Today’s edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “One U.S. service member was killed and four others wounded during a ‘combat engagement’ in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, the U.S military said in a statement on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday in Achin, Nangarhar province, the statement said.”

* Donald Trump’s threat “to cut aid to the Palestinians and nuclear-armed ally Pakistan is not simply a case of saving a few hundred million dollars spent on problems in faraway countries, analysts and former officials said Wednesday. One expert warned that such a move could drive impoverished refugees into the arms of extremists and further destabilize the Middle East.”

* On a related note, the president today said via Twitter that Iranian protesters can expect “great support” from the United States “at the appropriate time.” No one seems to know what that means.

* Justice Department: “With a deadline looming, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is using executive authority to name 17 interim U.S. attorneys in cities from coast to coast.”

* More on this on tonight’s show: “Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort filed a lawsuit against special counsel Robert Mueller, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the Justice Department in federal court on Wednesday, arguing that the investigation that charged him is operating outside the law.”

* NSA: “The National Security Agency is losing its top talent at a worrisome rate as highly skilled personnel, some disillusioned with the spy service’s leadership and an unpopular reorganization, take higher-paying, more flexible jobs in the private sector.”

* Thomas Homan: “The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday advocated for the arrest of local and state government officials who don’t cooperate with federal immigration agents.”

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.