THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Still high, but better (and beating expectations): "New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, touching their lowest level in nearly three months, according to a government report on Thursday that pointed to some stability in the troubled labor market."

* A possible environmental catastrophe unfolding in Hungary: "The toxic red sludge that burst out of a Hungarian factory's reservoir reached the mighty Danube on Thursday after wreaking havoc on smaller rivers and creeks, and downstream nations rushed to test their waters."

* Blue Dog Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) became the first House Dem to declare today he wouldn't support Nancy Pelosi for another term as House Speaker next year, if there's a Democratic majority. He said he wouldn't support John Boehner (R-Ohio) for Speaker, either.

* It's not exactly swift-moving progress with Middle East peace talks: "The Arab League meeting on Friday in Libya, widely anticipated as a deadline when Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would either be renewed or definitively cut off, appears likely to pass without either occurring."

* I know he's a Republican darling, but it's hard to imagine what he's thinking here: "Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said on Thursday that he has decided to terminate the construction of a commuter train tunnel between northern New Jersey and Manhattan because of escalating estimates of the project's cost." Paul Krugman called it "arguably the worst policy decision ever made by the government of New Jersey -- and that's saying a lot."

* The economy's problem isn't structural: "For months, companies have been sitting on the sidelines with record piles of cash, too nervous to spend. Now they're starting to deploy some of that money - not to hire workers or build factories, but to prop up their share prices."

* Nicholas Kristof explains that "the strong implication is that Republican rule would lead to the Trifecta of Torment: higher unemployment, worse deficits and greater inequity. That might be more important to ponder this fall than the ups and downs of the mud-wrestling competitions."

* Daschle's remarks on the public option have caused a stir, but they don't exactly shed any new light on the subject.

* Ryan Grim reports on the CFPB: "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will be the first real agency of the 21st century, Elizabeth Warren said in an interview with the Huffington Post, and it will rely on interaction with the public in order to accomplish its mission."

* It's only fair to note there are a couple of degrees of separation between the NRSC and the "hicky" attack ad in West Virginia. They bought it so they own it, but "hicky" wasn't part of the Republican script.

* Wait, Tea Partiers have begun hating puppies, too?

* Americans want better colleges. They just don't want to pay for them.

* There's something pretty amusing about the idea of Lou Dobbs hiring undocumented immigrants to work at his horse farm. Apparently, Dobbs will be addressing this tonight on MSNBC's "The Last Word," which should be interesting.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* China's best known dissident becomes the first Chinese citizen to win the Peace Prize: "Liu Xiaobo, an impassioned literary critic, political essayist and democracy advocate repeatedly jailed by the Chinese government for his writings, won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in recognition of his pursuit of nonviolent political reform in the world's most populous country."

* Foreclosures: "Bank of America, the country's largest bank, said on Friday that it was halting all foreclosure proceedings and sales of foreclosed homes indefinitely." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is calling on other major lenders to do the same.

* Gen. James Jones departs as President Obama's national security adviser. His successor will be his deputy, Thomas Donilon.

* Wall Street ended the week on a high note, not because the economy is looking up, but because it isn't: "The Dow Jones industrial average closed Friday above 11,000 for the first time since early May as the markets digested news of another weak report on unemployment, fueling expectations the Federal Reserve will step in to help the economy."

* Would New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) reverse course on the proposed rail tunnel under the Hudson River? Maybe. (I'm not sure why he couldn't think this through before making an announcement yesterday.)

* What's been killing off honeybees over the last several years? Military scientists and entomologists close in on the culprit.

* Michael Mann has some first-hand experience with the issue that gives his op-ed added weight: "Get the anti-science bent out of politics."

* The Rachel Maddow Show has an idea for re-naming my monthly jobs chart. Works for me.

* On a related note, "Where Are The Jobs?" The GOP blocked them.

* Sarabeth has some worthwhile thoughts on the future of the foreclosure crisis, and why it might slowly get bigger.

* Kevin Drum has a compelling defense of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) low-key, behind-the-scenes style.

* Graduation rates: community colleges vs. for-profits.

* And last week, extremist Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) in Nevada made some wildly ridiculous public remarks about Sharia Law being a threat to America. Greg Sargent has the audio and a partial transcript, and if anything, the remarks seem even worse.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's always best to keep hopes in Middle East peace talks in check: "Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu offered on Monday to extend a freeze on building in West Bank settlements if the Palestinian leadership declares that it recognizes Israel as the Jewish state. The offer was promptly rejected by the Palestinians."

* Criminal negligence in Hungary: "The managing director of the company whose reservoir unleashed a lethal torrent of red sludge on three villages last week has been arrested, the Hungarian prime minister announced before Parliament on Monday."

* Progress in the rescue efforts in Chile: "Rescuers on Monday finished reinforcing the hole drilled to bring 33 trapped miners to safety and sent a rescue capsule nearly all the way to where the men are trapped, proving the escape route works. That means that if all goes well, everything will be in place at midnight Tuesday to begin pulling the men out of their subterranean purgatory."

* Just what our discourse needs: a 10-stop Dick Cheney speaking tour.

* Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) told a right-wing crowd over the weekend "that he would support a federal constitutional amendment that would allow two-thirds of the states to collectively repeal a federal enactment." That's a pretty horrible idea.

* On a related note, Dave Weigel was on hand for the under-covered event, and has a fascinating, albeit disturbing, report.

* Fingers crossed: "Doctors have injected millions of human embryonic stem cells into a patient partially paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, marking the beginning of the first carefully designed attempt to test the promising but controversial therapy, officials announced Monday."

* Happy 10th blogoversary -- sure, that's a word -- to Andrew Sullivan.

* And finally, much of the media and a few too many political observers spent the day obsessing over a book that was tossed on stage at President Obama's rally in Philadelphia yesterday afternoon. Many took this as a sign of protest and anger at the president. In reality, the book was thrown by "an overzealous author who just wanted to toss his book into the president's reading list." The media's fascination -- the far-right blogs' hyperventalating -- was for naught. Again.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Lifting the drilling ban: "The Obama administration on Tuesday lifted the moratorium on deepwater exploratory oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico -- provided companies follow new safety rules.... One of those new rules is that the CEO of a company responsible for a well must certify it has complied with all regulations. That could make the person at the top of the company liable for any future accidents."

* Waiting for the Fed to intervene: "A critical mass of officials at the Federal Reserve appear to favor taking new actions to reinvigorate the lagging recovery in the absence of clear signs of improvement in the economy, according to minutes of the central bank's last policy meeting."

* Good news in Chile: "After 68 days deep in a dank, hot purgatory, the first of 33 trapped miners will be hoisted to freedom Tuesday night, Chilean rescue officials told hundreds of reporters who have been covering a dramatic life-and-death struggle that has mesmerized much of the world."

* In Afghanistan, the plan to accelerate training of Afghan security forces is going reasonably well, but "the question now is whether these new forces will allow NATO and the Afghan government to reverse the insurgency's momentum and begin reducing the Western presence in the country."

* As the debate over undisclosed campaign contributions rages on, wouldn't it be nice if major news outlets care more about the fact that Karl Rove seems to be constantly lying?

* As the Washington Post's On Faith section publishes a hateful screed from Tony Perkins on National Coming Out Day, it's easy to imagine Katharine Graham weeping.

* Health Care For America Now has a new video out featuring Jack Black as a professional "Mis-Informant." It's pretty funny, and worth checking out.

* Do college dropouts cost the American taxpayer billions of dollars? Well, sort of.

* Watching Gretchen Carlson and Laura Ingraham bust a move to "Ice Ice Baby" on "Fox & Friends" this morning might be among the more horrifying things I've seen in a while.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* It's hard not to feel good about the successful rescue efforts in Chile. As of now, 23 are free, and there are 10 more to go.

* Crafting a response to the foreclosure debacle: "Federal regulators on Wednesday urged the nation's lenders to verify that paperwork filed as part of the foreclosure process was properly reviewed and to file new documents if problems are found."

* ThinkProgress follows up on its previous reporting, noting today that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce received at least $885,000 from over 80 foreign companies in disclosed donations.

* House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is so confident about the outcome of the midterms, he's already starting to make promises to members about valuable committee assignments.

* Ordinarily, the departure of a city's public schools' chief wouldn't necessarily be national news, but the departure of D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is a unique case.

* Michael Cohen is back from Afghanistan. He reflects on what he saw as an elections monitor.

* It's hard to believe the extent to which right-wing groups have dominated the airwaves in the hopes of buying the elections: "FEC filings show they've spent almost $2.7 million on TV ads. The advertising data we reviewed suggests the nation's leading pro-gun group has aired 1,822 ads across four Senate races. All told, these ten groups have now aired 60,052 ads since the beginning of August."

* Congrats to Annie Lowery as she makes the transition from the Washington Independent to Slate.

* Not sure what to make of this: "Apparently in the wake of the success of The Social Network, the movie about Facebook's early days, filmmaker Wes Jones is now working on a movie about Karl Rove's time in college. Yup, Karl Rove."

* Glenn Beck wonders whether Donald Duck is a government-funded propaganda tool.

* And through her House Tea Party Caucus, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) intends to teach a class to incoming congressional freshman, to help protect against what she described as "huge, bureaucratic, large, big government." It should be quite a course.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan: "The United States is helping senior Taliban leaders attend initial peace talks with the Afghan government in Kabul because military officials and diplomats want to take advantage of any possibility of political reconciliation, Obama administration and NATO officials said Thursday."

* The expected appeal: "The Justice Department has asked a federal judge to allow the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy on gays to continue during an appeal."

* Wrong direction: "The number of Americans filing first-time applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly increased last week, indicating the U.S. job market is struggling to mend."

* A procedural win for health care opponents: "A federal judge in Florida on Thursday ruled that challenges to the healthcare reform law's individual mandate and its Medicaid expansion can proceed."

* The foreclosure debacle: "For more than a decade, big lenders sold millions of mortgages around the globe at lightning speed without properly transferring the physical documents that prove who legally owned the loans. Now, some of the pension systems, hedge funds and other investors that took big losses on the loans are seeking to use this flaw to force banks to compensate them or even invalidate the mortgage trades themselves. Their collective actions, if successful, could blow a hole through the balance sheets of big banks and raise fundamental questions about the financial system, financial analysts and a lawmaker said."

* The political establishment is convinced that voters don't care about the secret cash funding American elections. New data suggests "the issue may indeed matter a good deal to voters after all."

* A clip-and-save item from Jonathan Cohn on health care reform: "[F]or the sake of my friends at Fox News and anybody who might be listening to them, here are three basic questions to ask every time you hear a story about changes the Affordable Care Act is unleashing: 1) Is something actually changing? 2) Is the change related to the Affordable Care Act? 3) Is the change really for the worse?"

* Larry Mishel explains the stimulus debate very well, with a helpful metaphor.

* Daniel Luzer: "How much can you pay for college? Remember when $50,000 a year was a lot of money? Now that's not even surprising. Cost is still going up, a lot, and now $60,000 is right around the corner."

* And in a rather classic example of why I think the notion of conservative populism is silly on a fundamental level, Glenn Beck urged his followers today to start sending donations directly to corporate interests so the U.S. Chamber of Commerce can buy more elections for far-right candidates. The minions took their orders well -- the Chamber's online donation page crashed today after regular folks tried to give their money to the already-extremely-wealthy business lobby.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The Fed eyes a new round of intervention: "The Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, appeared to remove any lingering doubt Friday that the central bank would take new actions to fortify the torpid recovery and fight low inflation and high unemployment."

* Social Security: "Another year without an increase in Social Security retirement and disability benefits is creating a political backlash that has President Barack Obama and Democrats pushing to give a $250 bonus to each of the program's 58 million recipients."

* Not helpful: "Israel ended an unofficial construction freeze in Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem on Friday, announcing plans to build 238 housing units. The move comes as hard-won peace talks are stalled over the question of whether Israel will extend its broader construction moratorium in the West Bank."

* Those worried about inflation aren't paying attention: "The economy continued to show little sign of inflation as consumer prices eased marginally in September, while the retail sector provided a glimmer of hope for consumers, government reports said on Friday."

* Seems like a no-brainer: "A domestic abuse victim filed a lawsuit Friday claiming a disgraced Wisconsin prosecutor violated her constitutional rights by sending her text messages seeking to start an affair while prosecuting her ex-boyfriend."

* Remember, not all earmarks are wasteful: "Earmarks have long been maligned as pork. I thought I'd go see what one looks like in Massachusetts, so I went to the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge." (thanks to R.L. for the tip)

* The Forgive Student Loan Debt initiative will piggyback onto Jon Stewart's upcoming rally, in the hopes of making the case that forgiving all students loans would boost the economy.

* During a debate this week between Delaware's major-party Senate candidates, Christine O'Donnell (R) insisted that Chris Coons (D) "paid $53,000 in a men's fashion show." She was lying.

* If you haven't taken the time to watch the clip of Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns' message to GLBT teens, you should. It's quite powerful. (thanks to S.Y. for passing it along.)

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Iraq: "Members of United States-allied Awakening Councils have quit or been dismissed from their positions in significant numbers in recent months, prey to an intensive recruitment campaign by the Sunni insurgency, according to government officials, current and former members of the Awakening and insurgents."

* That was quick: "Bank of America said Monday that it will effectively lift its foreclosure freeze on Oct. 25 when it begins resubmitting foreclosure documents to courts in 23 states. The bank said the new documents will be used in 102,000 foreclosure actions in which judgment is pending in the 23 states."

* You've got to be kidding me: "Some employees of Florida's largest 'foreclosure mill' were given jewelry, cars and houses from the firm, in exchange for altering and forging key documents used to obtain foreclosures, according to a statement released today by the Florida Attorney General's Office."

* Homegrown terrorism: "Four men accused of planting bombs outside synagogues in the Bronx and plotting to fire missiles at military planes were convicted on Monday, in a case that was widely seen as an important test of the entrapment defense.... The four defendants -- Onta Williams, Laguerre Payen, James Cromitie and David Williams IV -- face up to life in prison. Mr. Williams and Mr. Payen were found not guilty of one charge, attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States."

* That's really not what we wanted to see: "Output at factories, mines and utilities fell 0.2 percent, the first decline since the recession ended in June 2009, according to figures from the Fed today."

* Headlines like these tells us quite a bit: "Rather Than Investigating Foreclosure Fraud, House Republicans Vow To Investigate Loans To Poor People."

* A minor detail that the far-right Concerned Taxpayers of America neglects to mention to the public: the group consists of just two people.

* Former New York Stock Exchange Director Ken Langone's partisan whining appears to have no foundation in reality.

* When PayPal's founder offered to give $100,000 to kids to drop out of college and become entrepreneurs, it really wasn't a good idea.

* If you haven't seen Jonah Goldberg's Book TV panel, it featured an exchange -- which had nothing to do with Jonah Goldberg -- that has to be one of the more bizarre things ever aired on C-SPAN.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* China rattles global investors: "China's central bank unexpectedly announced Tuesday that it would raise interest rates for the first time in nearly three years, apparently in the hopes of dampening inflation and cooling off this country's hot property market."

* Violence at the Chechen Parliament: "Heavily armed gunmen burst into the Parliament of Chechnya in southern Russia on Tuesday morning, killing at least three people and wounding more than a dozen others before they were killed by police or by their own explosives, officials said."

* Someone shot at the Pentagon shortly before 5 a.m. this morning, possibly using a high-powered rifle. No one was injured, and for now, authorities are considering this "a random event."

* As of this afternoon, U.S. military recruiters are required to accept the applications of gays and lesbians who wish to join the military. Those same recruiters will have to inform those joining, however, that DADT may be re-imposed fairly soon.

* A far-right group hoping to deliberately suppress the Hispanic vote in Nevada will not be able to purchase airtime on Univision.

* With undisclosed millions poised to deliver huge gains for Republicans, there's a reason Karl Rove and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are laughing at their critics.

* Extremist Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) thinks terrorists have entered the U.S. through Canada. That's completely wrong, and Canadian officials aren't happy about Angle's ignorance.

* Repealing health care reform really isn't as easy as the right might think.

* Students with cerebral disabilities are enrolling in colleges in greater numbers, and even if they don't get a degree, the education will help these young people be more competitive in the job market.

* Juan Williams is afraid of Muslims on airplanes. He seemed unembarrassed about saying this on national television.

* And we talked earlier about Christine O'Donnell's lack of familiarity with the separation of church and state, but seeing the video -- and hearing the audience marvel at the extent of her stupidity -- really helps capture the moment in ways the printed text cannot.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: "Talks to end the war in Afghanistan involve extensive, face-to-face discussions with Taliban commanders from the highest levels of the group's leadership, who are secretly leaving their sanctuaries in Pakistan with the help of NATO troops, officials here say."

* The British brand of conservatism sure sounds familiar: "The British government on Wednesday unveiled the country's steepest public spending cuts in more than 60 years, reducing costs in government departments by an average of 19 percent, sharply curtailing welfare benefits, raising the retirement age to 66 by 2020 and eliminating hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs in an effort to bring down the bloated budget deficit."

* A possible shift in Palestinian strategy: "The Palestinian leadership, near despair about attaining a negotiated agreement with Israel on a two-state solution, is increasingly focusing on how to get international bodies and courts to declare a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem."

* When corporations use the Affordable Care Act to justify scaling back employee benefits, remember, they're lying.

* Remember, while it's important that Karl Rove is using secret donations to buy elections with anti-Democratic attack ads, it's also important that Rove's operations are using those attack ads to blatantly lie to the public.

* From now on, when conservatives hyperventilate about George Soros helping finance Media Matters, they won't be lying. As for why Soros investments are supposed to be considered controversial, I still haven't the foggiest idea.

* It was good to see President Obama sign an executive order yesterday intended to improve the education of Hispanic students.

* A Republican congressional candidate was asked this week to name a recent Supreme Court ruling he disagreed with. He pointed to the Dred Scott decision, which was issued 153 years ago.

* Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.) is so worried about re-election, has said he'd consider supporting Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker.

* A radical right-wing group in Colorado has released an ad describing President Obama as "the Angel of Death." Classy.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates had a beautiful item today on the culture of poverty. Take a few minutes to read it.

* Maybe it's time for more consistently reliable fact-checking websites.

* And former President George W. Bush is still keeping a very low profile, but he showed up recently at an Alabama fundraiser, and conceded, "I miss being pampered." And I'm reminded why I don't miss him.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The total is still obviously too high, but it was good to see the initial jobless claims drop even more than expected over the last week.

* Passing the Affordable Care Act was a milestone achievement, but it was the first of many steps. Implementing the new law will be a major undertaking, and today's initial work on medical-loss ratios was very encouraging. (When consumer advocates are thrilled, and insurance industry lobbyists are not, it's a good sign.)

* I realize why the Juan Williams story is interesting, but reasonable people should be able to agree his story isn't similar to Shirley Sherrod's.

* Most of the benefactors backing Karl Rove's attack operations are still secret, but not all of them -- the financier of the Swift Boat Liars ponied up $7 million recently.

* As you've no doubt heard, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the Pentagon to go back to enforcing DADT late yesterday.

* Farcical: "Dick Morris used his position as a Fox News 'political analyst' to tout and solicit donations for the Republican-aligned group Americans for New Leadership weeks after they began paying him thousands of dollars. During his appearances, Morris did not disclose that he was receiving money from the group."

* Speaking of Fox News, the Republican network is being sued by a former employee who claims he was fired after complaining about workplace racism.

* The regional trends are unmistakable: in the Northeast, where sex-ed is the norm, teen-birth rates are extremely low. In the "Bible Belt," where abstinence education is the norm, teen-birth rates are extremely high. That's not a coincidence.

* I don't really mind that Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D) attacked the Affordable Care Act in the Wall Street Journal. I mind that his argument is filled with errors of fact and judgment.

* The country seems to be growing a lot more segregated by education.

* Have I mentioned lately that Tom Toles is a national treasure? Well, he is.

* A Tea Party group in South Dakota is sponsoring an event with Glenn Beck in just a few days. The venue holds 10,000 people, and around 9,000 seats are still available.

* And my favorite quote of the day comes from a woman named Kelly Khuri, a prominent Tea Party activist in Indiana, who tried to explain why she's so opposed to the idea of dealing with the climate crisis. "Carbon regulation, cap and trade, it's all just a money-control avenue," Khuri said. "Some people say I'm extreme, but they said the John Birch Society was extreme, too." That has to be one of my favorite quotes in a long while.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* About those talks in Afghanistan: "Despite news reports of high-level talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, no significant peace negotiations are under way in Afghanistan, U.S. officials and Afghanistan experts said Thursday."

* Nevertheless, Gen. David Petraeus continues to sound optimistic. (More surprisingly, Fred Kaplan is starting to sound more optimistic, too.)

* A swastika-adorned package was sent to Rep. Rep. Raul Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) this week, with a suspicious powder inside. The FBI has determined, as of this afternoon, that the substance is "non-toxic."

* An attempt to limit trade imbalances: "The Obama administration on Friday urged the world's biggest economies to set a numerical limit on their trade imbalances, in a major new effort to broker an international consensus on how to handle festering exchange-rate tensions."

* For the right, there's some kind of Democratic/Republican equivalence between groups using undisclosed funds to influence election outcomes. Given the actual numbers -- nearly $75 million to help the GOP, under $10 million in support of Democrats -- the talking point is demonstrably ridiculous.

* The Pentagon isn't going to ignore the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates has issued a directive that would make discharges under the law a lot more difficult.

* President Obama will name Denis McDonough as his new Deputy National Security Advisor.

* In an apparent attempt to sound reasonable, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said there's "not a chance" he would pursue impeachment against the president if there's a GOP majority in the House.

* Student debt gets worse, as does the ability to pay off these student loans.

* Fox News has rewarded Juan Williams with a three-year, $2 million contract. Imagine that.

* Remember when Republicans said the Andy Griffith/Medicare commercials HHS ran were illegal propaganda? Well, the allegations were wrong.

* The idea of defunding the Supreme Court out of partisan spite is insane.

* Remember the Citizens Against Government Waste ad we talked about earlier? Campus Progress quickly put together a very clever spoof, which (a) is pretty darn clever; and (b) already annoying the hell out of Citizens Against Government Waste. (thanks to reader K.A. for the tip)

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* As if Haiti weren't struggling enough, it's now dealing with a cholera epidemic, which has killed more than 250 people so far.

* A step in the right direction on real estate, but dangers loom: "Sales of previously occupied homes are bouncing back from their anemic levels last summer, but the gains may not be sustainable if the abrupt halt in foreclosures in some states drags out and pulls down future sales."

* Try to contain your shock: "Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted at a press conference Monday that his office accepts 'bags of money' from the Iranian government."

* The White House tries circumventing Beijing: "In a shift from its assiduous one-on-one courtship of Beijing, the administration is trying to line up coalitions -- among China's next-door neighbors and far-flung trading partners -- to present Chinese leaders with a unified front on thorny issues like the currency and its territorial claims in the South China Sea."

* If you missed it over the weekend, a WikiLeaks document dump advanced questions about the stability of Iraq.

* President Obama clearly hasn't forgotten about immigration reform, but Republican gains in the midterms will make progress extremely unlikely for the foreseeable future.

* O'Reilly sure does love his ambushes.

* If the right wants to talk about wasteful public spending, can we have a conversation about the conservative-controlled U.S. Commission on Civil Rights spending over $173,000 -- of our money -- "investigating an incident involving voter intimidation by members of the New Black Panther Party -- a case in which no voters have alleged they were intimidated"?

* I've never heard of a state that's worried about having too many colleges.

* Remember the felony charges pending against disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas)? His trial is finally getting underway.

* And finally, eight years ago today, Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) died in a tragic plane crash. His thoughtful leadership is still greatly missed.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* I really am glad President Obama rescued the American automotive industry: "The Ford Motor Company said on Tuesday that it earned $1.7 billion in the third quarter and that it expected to have zero net debt by the end of December, one year ahead of forecast. It was the sixth consecutive profitable quarter and the best third quarter in more than 20 years for Ford."

* On a related note, the administration has unveiled new rules to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants by requiring greater fuel efficiency for big trucks, buses and other heavy-duty vehicles starting with 2014 models." Look for more regulatory moves like this in 2011 and 2012, after Congress completely loses the ability to act.

* I'm starting to think some folks consider Voting While Brown to be illegal: "Tea Party members have started challenging voter registration applications and have announced plans to question individual voters at the polls whom they suspect of being ineligible. In response, liberal groups and voting rights advocates are sounding an alarm, claiming that such strategies are scare tactics intended to suppress minority and poor voters."

* Given the larger context, this may not generate as much praise as it probably deserves: "Less than halfway through his first term, President Barack Obama has appointed more openly gay officials than any other president in history. Gay activists say the estimate of more than 150 appointments so far -- from agency heads and commission members to policy officials and senior staffers -- surpasses the previous high of about 140 reached during two full terms under President Bill Clinton."

* First Lady Michelle Obama is working with OFA to encourage folks to take advantage of early voting.

* Congress still hasn't taken care of that Pell Grant problem that's been building up since the summer.

* I really do wish I knew whether it's all right to keep my cell phone in my pocket.

* Interesting-but-polite confrontation yesterday between a Fox News crew and Wisconsin Democrats.

* Right-wing hate blogger Pamela Geller has a plan to profit handsomely from bigotry.

* Based on the perspective of a woman who knew him pretty well, Clarence Thomas seems like a strange, scary man.

* From time to time, I genuinely struggle to understand how Richard Cohen's mind works.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Scary stuff: "Federal law enforcement authorities have arrested a Northern Virginia man in connection with an alleged plot to carry out a series of terrorist bombings at stations in the Washington Metro system, according to a federal indictment. Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn, conspired with people he believed to be al-Qaeda operatives to attack the stations at Arlington National Cemetery, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Court House, the indictment said."

* Indonesia: "The death toll from a tsunami and a volcano rose to more than 300 Wednesday as more victims of Indonesia's double disasters were found and an official said a warning system installed after a deadly ocean wave in 2004 had broken from a lack of maintenance."

* I probably wouldn't characterize this as progress: "An intense military campaign aimed at crippling the Taliban has so far failed to inflict more than fleeting setbacks on the insurgency or put meaningful pressure on its leaders to seek peace, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials citing the latest assessments of the war in Afghanistan."

* This tragedy would be even worse without ongoing conservation efforts: "A growing number of creatures could disappear from the earth, with one-fifth of all vertebrates and as many as a third of all sharks and rays now facing the threat of extinction, according to a new survey assessing nearly 26,000 species across the globe."

* No, state of Arizona, you can't require documents proving citizenship for new voter registration.

* The White House hosted a discussion with representatives of LGBT organizations and senior administration officials yesterday, discussing DADT repeal. President Obama stopped in unexpectedly "to directly convey to the participants his personal commitment on this issue."

* Not again: "Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, put a second and final stop on Wednesday morning to the most expensive public works project under way in the country, a proposed rail tunnel under the Hudson River that could have doubled commuter-train service to Manhattan."

* It pains me to see that we have to endure another phony debate about non-existent "voter fraud."

* House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana might give up his leadership post in advance of a silly presidential campaign.

* Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) has described President Obama has "one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times." Ruth Marcus wrote today, "If Issa believes this, he is deranged. If he doesn't and is saying it anyway, he is dangerous."

* Todd Lally, a Republican congressional candidate in Kentucky, hasn't personally witnessed gender discrimination, and therefore, suspects it doesn't exist.

* Substance abuse within the Iraqi Security Forces is a real problem.

* What happens when a college student gets a scholarship, but it's too short?

* And Ralph Reed, who inexplicably feels comfortable showing his face in public, is launching campaign ads that are almost a parody of themselves.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* I'm looking forward to seeing some serious consequences for this: "Halliburton knew weeks before the fatal explosion of the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico that the cement mixture they planned to use to seal the bottom of the well was unstable but still went ahead with the job, the presidential commission investigating the accident said on Thursday."

* Death toll in Indonesia tops 400.

* It's still too high, but this is encouraging: "Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the second drop in a row and a hopeful sign the job market could be improving. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for jobless benefits dropped by 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 434,000 in the week that ended Oct. 23." This far exceeded analysts' expectations.

* Had it not been for pointless GOP obstructionism, this could have happened months ago: "Just one month after the President signed the Small Business Jobs Act, SBA has supported nearly $3 billion in loans to more than 5,000 small businesses across the country. That's more than 5,000 small business owners who've felt first-hand, within one month, the impact this new law is having on our economy."

* Remember, GM keeps paying us back. That's a good thing.

* Offensive anti-gay rhetoric is, alas, not uncommon. But Arkansas District School board member Clint McCance's rant was more disgusting than most.

* On a related note, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who struggling to a surprising degree to keep up with current events, continues to really dislike Muslims.

* I wonder if RNC Chairman Michael Steele realizes that Democrats hope he stays on for another term. I'm guessing not.

* Fox News, in an apparent attempt to become a parody of itself, has created an email address so its Republican fans can alert them to non-existent examples of "voter fraud." Seriously.

* Pundits didn't seem especially pleased with the appearance, but I actually kind of liked President Obama's interview with Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show."

* What college costs and how Americans buy it.

* The right gets pretty worked up if a court cites foreign precedent, but what about Vulcans?

* I'm not a parent, but if I were, I wouldn't want my kids anywhere near Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio).

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Terror threat: "Two packages containing explosive devices originating in Yemen and bound for two places of Jewish worship in Chicago set off a global terror alert that began when one package was found at a FedEx facility in Dubai on Thursday, and then another was found early Friday morning near London, sparking a day of dramatic precautionary activity in the United States."

* Earlier media reports suggested there were no explosives found in the packages. President Obama told reporters this afternoon, however, that there were explosives and this represented a "credible terrorist threat."

* The packages reportedly originated in Yemen, where the "underwear bomber" originated, but the president did not explicitly assign blame to al Qaeda.

* I feel like we've heard this before, but maybe this time will be different: "Iran said Friday that it would resume talks with the West about its nuclear program in November, according to officials at the European Union."

* Just like the good ol' days -- Halliburton trying to shift the blame: "Halliburton, whose failed cement job on the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico was identified as a contributing factor to the deadly blowout by a presidential investigative panel on Thursday, is defending its work and assigning the blame for the accident to BP."

* Some clever folks launch the "Vote Sanity" initiative.

* Hearing Rush Limbaugh accuse Democrats of racism buries the needle on the Irony-O-Meter.

* If Tim Profitt is waiting for Lauren Valle to apologize for having her head under his shoe in Kentucky earlier this week, he shouldn't hold his breath.

* I fear the moral of the story is, if Glenn Beck criticizes you on the air, his minions will threaten to kill you.

* The bigot on the Arkansas school board who urged "fags" and "queers" to kill themselves told CNN last night that he will resign.

* Dick Morris will say anything for money.

* Is Jonah Goldberg seriously suggesting someone should murder Julian Assange? It sure seems like it.

* University of Phoenix draws renewed scrutiny: "Apparently it's not just the coming education debt rules about which the University of Phoenix needs to worry. Federal regulators have asked the school's parent company, Apollo Group Inc., to provide information and documentation about the company's internal practices."

* And Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker announced this week -- in a televised campaign ad, no less -- that the federal judge who found DADT unconstitutional is as big a "security threat" as al Qaeda. He wasn't kidding.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Terrorists hoped to bring down planes: "The two package bombs intercepted by authorities in Britain and Dubai last week appear to have been built to detonate 'in flight' and to bring down the planes carrying them, President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser said."

* Unlike some recent terrorist attempts, last week's bombs "were expertly constructed and unusually sophisticated."

* A relatively good sign: "Manufacturing activity expanded last month at the fastest pace since May, driven by demand in the United States and abroad for cars, computers and other goods."

* On a related note, the Federal Reserve is expected to act in some capacity this week, but "most economists say it is unlikely to have a big impact on employment and growth."

* Tragedy in a Baghdad church: "Iraq's Christian community was in shock Monday after Islamist militants in suicide vests besieged a church during Sunday mass and then fought Iraqi commandos in a melee that left at least 58 people dead."

* Dilma Rousseff easily won Brazil's presidency over the weekend, and will become the country's first female president.

* I can only assume that ABC News, right about now, is wondering why on earth it reached out to work with Andrew Breitbart.

* Daniel Luzer does a nice job summarizing the problem with financial aid to college students.

* Offering an anti-Islam remark that was slightly worse than Juan Williams', Bill Maher offers a reminder that he, too, can say some pretty dumb things.

* And if you're wondering why Republican activists seem so worked up about bogus "voter fraud" allegations, there's no great mystery here -- their media outlets are manufacturing a controversy that doesn't exist.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

TUESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The deadliest attacks in Baghdad in months: "Insurgents unleashed a deadly series of coordinated attacks in Iraq's capital on Tuesday night, setting off more than a dozen bombs and demonstrating their ability to upend the government's measures to secure the country's largest and most important city. At least 63 people were killed and more than 280 were wounded, government officials said."

* The investigation into last week's terrorist plot continues: "American intelligence officials in September intercepted several packages containing books, papers, CDs and other household items shipped to Chicago from Yemen and considered the possibility that the parcels might be a test run for a terrorist attack, two officials said Monday night."

* BP's bottom line: "BP lifted its estimate of the likely cost of its Gulf of Mexico oil spill to $40 billion on Tuesday, denting profits, but its underlying performance beat all expectations on higher refining margins and a lower tax rate."

* I still have no idea what ABC News was thinking inviting Andrew Breitbart to help with its election coverage, but the fiasco came to an end this afternoon when the network un-invited the right-wing activist.

* While the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals considers the constitutionality of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the existing law will remain in place. (Of course, the Senate will still have a chance to put things right in the lame-duck session. We just need a couple of GOP votes to overcome the Republican filibuster.)

* GM continues to pay us back.

* Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, there's been a big boost in the number of small businesses that are offering health coverage to their workers.

* It's been that kind of year: "Rep. Tom Perriello's Charlottesville, Va., office was vandalized last night -- and the vandal posted a sign for the Democrat's opponent, Republican Robert Hurt, outside the building."

* If the election results go as expected, there will be "less money for things like Pell grants, education loans, and research funding."

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joins the "we can't compromise" camp. What a guy.

* Author Curtis Sittenfeld explains why he "still adores President Obama."

* And finally, just a quick housekeeping note. I'm taking a break now to eat dinner and catch my breath, but I'll be back at my desk in a bit and will be posting tonight as election results come in. See you then.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

WEDNESDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* The long-awaited QE2: "The Federal Reserve, concerned about the slow recovery, announced a second, large purchase of Treasury bonds on Wednesday, an effort to spur economic growth by lowering long-term interest rates.... The Fed said it would buy an additional $600 billion in long-term Treasury securities by the end of June 2011, somewhat more than the $300 billion to $500 billion that many in the markets had expected."

* Paul Krugman doesn't seem especially impressed with the move.

* Austerity measures not popular with some Greeks: "After a season of bitter and widespread protests over austerity measures to address its financial crisis, Greece faced new turmoil on Wednesday as the authorities investigated an elaborate bomb plot in which relatively mild explosive devices were sent to embassies in Athens as well as to the leaders of Italy and Germany." Prime Minister George Papandreou said the letter bombs were the work of domestic terrorists, not al Qaeda.

* Three weeks, five shootings: "A fifth shooting at a U.S. military facility in Northern Virginia in recent days has been linked to the same weapon, authorities said Wednesday."

* Solid auto sales: "October was the best month for new-vehicle sales in more than two years, outside of the government rebate program in mid-2009, and General Motors surpassed expectations, but still lost market share in the United States ahead of its public stock offering."

* For crying out loud: "Both sides are claiming victory in Virginia-11, Rep. Gerry Connolly's seat. And one of the three members of the canvassing board that's overseeing the counting is none other than Hans von Spakovsky, the vote fraud bamboozler and vote suppression macher who became such a TPM favorite during the US Attorney firing days."

* Colorado's odious "fetal personhood" amendment went down in flames yesterday. Good.

* It was heartening to see Prop 23 lose in California, too.

* Several dozen House Dems lost last night, but not all of them were running under the same conditions. Dave Weigel has a smart piece on the four different types of Dems who were defeated.

* Fox News intended to do a big special tomorrow on imaginary "voter fraud" in Nevada. After Sharron Angle's (R) embarrassing defeat, the Republican network has cancelled the program.

* No doubt: "The 112th United States Congress will be a very different place for higher education issues."

* And while I'm not generally pleased with Chris Matthews' work, I was delighted to hear him ask Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) last night, "Has someone hypnotized you?"

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

THURSDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* It doesn't look like talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan are going especially well.

* The trend of few couple of weeks didn't last: "The number of people seeking jobless benefits jumped sharply last week, after two straight weeks of declines."

* Not all of the economic news was discouraging: "The economy is picking up a bit from its late-summer doldrums, according to two reports Wednesday, with both the service and manufacturing sectors showing better health."

* President Obama seems to enjoy hosting these get-togethers: "In the aftermath of this week's electoral "shellacking," President Obama on Thursday invited Congressional leaders to literally break bread later this month at a dinner at the White House as he tries to adjust to a new political order with Republicans ascendant. Mr. Obama invited eight leaders, four from each party, to meet on Nov. 18 and then share a meal in the residence part of the White House."

* After such a lengthy debate over health care policy, one would like to think Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) realizes the ACA lowers the deficit -- and repealing it would increase the deficit.

* Some on the far-right probably don't look forward to extending the debt limit, but even Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) seems to realize the catastrophic results of default.

* Only a handful of House Democrats actually saw their support grow over 2008 levels. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine is one of them -- and she ran on a progressive, unapologetic platform. (Her race had been considered a "toss up," but she won by double-digits.)

* It's good to see the estimable Sam Seder back on the air.

* Ever wonder about the origins of the "landslide election" phrase? Now we know.

* For crying out loud: "The GOP plans to hold high profile hearings examining the alleged 'scientific fraud' behind global warming, a sleeper issue in this election that motivated the base quite a bit."

* There's some entertaining symbolism here -- Sarah Palin's video on the midterms shows a sunrise, which is actually just a sunset run backwards. Insert joke here.

* As the economy struggles, more Americans are returning to college. That, however, isn't going especially well.

* And one of the reasons I love "The Rachel Maddow Show" is that the host and her team really seem to get what I'm trying to say with my charts.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

FRIDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* Confirming suspicions: "The Yemeni branch of al-Qaida on Friday claimed responsibility for the two mail bombs sent from Yemen last week and for the downing of a cargo plane in Dubai in September."

* Pakistan: "A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vest inside a mosque in northwestern Pakistan during midday prayers on Friday, according to government officials, a strike apparently aimed at worshipers who had denied support to the Taliban." At least 60 people were killed.

* The tragedy in Indonesia continues to intensify, with the volcano now responsible for 122 deaths.

* With Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) running for Minority Leader, the race is on to be Minority Whip. The current Majority Whip, James Clyburn (D-S.C.) intends to seek the job, but so does current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Keep an eye on this one.

* The White House appears to be casting President Obama's Asia trip in an economic light: "President Obama left Washington Friday for a 10-day Asia trip, vowing to 'pry some markets open' and search for other ways to bolster the struggling U.S. economy."

* Karl Rove told the attendees at a shale-gas conference this week that the incoming Republican House majority "sure as heck" won't pass legislation to limit greenhouse pollution from fossil fuels. "Climate is gone," Rove said. Somehow, I fear that sentence is correct in more ways than one.

* Harvard's David Cutler, a prominent former health care advisor to the Obama White House, expects Republicans to shut down the federal government early next year over "funding of discretionary health care." Unfortunately, I suspect he's right.

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) likes the Congressional Budget Office unless it tells him something he doesn't want to hear.

* Remember all of those far-right voices who were obsessed with imaginary "voter fraud" for the last several weeks? All of a sudden, in the wake of significant GOP gains in the midterms, they seem to have lost interest.

* Eugene Robinson is entirely right about Nancy Pelosi: "She's losing her job [as Speaker] not because she does it poorly but because she does it so well."

* I was planning to do some digging through exit polls over the weekend, looking for differences between 2010 and 2006 -- but it looks Kevin already did all of the hard work.

* Fox News does not "plan" to hire Christine O'Donnell as a television personality, at least not yet.

* And I was sorry to see that Marc Ambinder is giving up blogging, but I wish him well as he moves from The Atlantic to National Journal.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

MONDAY'S MINI-REPORT.... Today's edition of quick hits:

* This seemed to go over well in India: "President Obama announced here on Monday that the United States would back India's bid for a permanent seat on an expanded United Nations Security Council, a major policy shift that underscores their strengthening partnership. Mr. Obama made the announcement -- a priority for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh -- during a late afternoon speech to Parliament."

* In response to the latest plot: "The U.S. tightened security on cargo shipments flown from abroad Monday, banning 'high-risk' cargo from flying on passenger planes after last month's discovery of a plot that originated in Yemen to send bombs in shipped packages. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano also extended last week's ban on all air cargo from Yemen to include Somalia as well."

* The race between James Clyburn and Steny Hoyer for Minority Whip is actually more interesting than I'd expected, with a surprising number of liberals lining up behind the current Majority Leader.

* Legal nonsense in Oklahoma is put on hold: "A federal judge in Oklahoma has issued a temporary restraining order barring the state from adopting a constitutional amendment voters passed last week that forbids state courts from enforcing Islamic law, also known as sharia, The Associated Press reports."

* Speaking of legal news, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the first preliminary challenge to the Affordable Care Act today. The AP noted, "The decision Monday to reject an appeal from a former Republican state lawmaker in California was no surprise because a federal appeals court has yet to consider the case. The high court almost never reviews cases before the issues have been aired in lower courts."

* A wild story out of Maryland, where on Election Day, more than 50,000 voters were called two hours before the polls closed, suggesting Democrats who hadn't voted shouldn't bother because Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) had already won re-election. The calls apparently came from a controversial Democratic operative who hoped to help the Republican in the race.

* Republican Sen.-elect Mark Kirk of Illinois will join his new colleagues during the lame-duck session, but will have to wait until after the state Board of Elections certifies his election, which may not be until after Thanksgiving.

* Remember that weird assistant attorney general in Michigan who launched a bizarre crusade against a gay college student for no apparent reason? He's been fired.

* Kaplan sure does make a lot of money for the Washington Post Company.

* Why did Nicaragua sort-of invade Costa Rica? Because of Google Maps. (This is a subject regular readers of the Washington Monthly already know all about thanks to a fascinating recent report from John Gravois.)

* And at this point, it doesn't look like Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) have any intention of caucusing with Republicans.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.