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

* A glimmer of hope: "The federal official leading the Gulf oil spill cleanup said Friday a new containment cap and an additional ship collecting oil could effectively contain the spill in the next three days. The work to replace a leaky containment cap on the well head with a tighter one will begin Saturday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen said Friday. At the same time, a ship connecting to a different part of the leak is expected to come online Sunday."

* Pakistan: "A suicide bomber attacked a group of tribal elders gathered near the headquarters of the civilian government in Mohmand on Friday, killing more than 60 people and wounding more than 100, a senior Pakistani security official said."

* The swap went off without a hitch: "In a seeming flashback to the cold war, Russian and American officials traded prisoners in the bright sunlight on the tarmac of Vienna's international airport on Friday, bringing to a quick end an episode that had threatened to disrupt relations between the countries."

* It's hard to know what the jury in the Oscar Grant case was thinking.

* The Fifth Circuit rejected the Obama administration's appeal on a six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

* Gen. David Petraeus will consider soldier complaints about the existing restrictions on the rules of engagement.

* It's good to see the Obama administration prepare "new rules that will make it substantially easier for veterans who have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam." VetVoice's Richard Allen Smith has more, including praise for President Obama for having "raised the bar and set a new standard for the way we care for Vets."

* The withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq is on track.

* New DNC frame: "BP Republicans."

* Remember when the RNC was supposed to be reimbursed for the bondage-themed nightclub expenses? It seems that hasn't quite happened yet.

* Will the major media outlets that took the "Climategate" story seriously before be just as diligent now that the "controversy" has been resolved?

* The Defense Department's survey on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" leaves much to be desired.

* Why anyone would find Arthur Laffer credible is a mystery to me.

* New federal rules matter for all colleges.

* Good to see the right's bogus Jones Act talking point get some pushback.

* Why, oh why, does the Washington Post keep publishing ridiculous columns from Amity Shlaes?

* And as Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to help demonstrate, "death panel" rhetoric really is back among unhinged conservatives.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 9, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024657.php

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

* Getting closer, we hope, to containment: "Deep-sea robots swarmed around BP's ruptured oil well Monday in a delicately choreographed effort to attach a tighter-fitting cap that could finally stop crude from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico nearly three months into the crisis."

* Afghanistan: "Six U.S. service members died in separate attacks in Afghanistan on Saturday, another round of killings in what is shaping up to be the most violent summer of the nearly nine-year war."

* Uganda: "Simultaneous explosions tore through crowds watching the World Cup final at a rugby club and a restaurant in Uganda's capital, killing at least 64 people including one American, officials said. Police feared an al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group was behind the attacks." A Somali militant group linked to al Qaeda later claimed responsibility.

* The first one failed in the courts, so the administration is trying another one: "The U.S. Interior Department said Monday it is issuing a new moratorium order in a second effort to block deepwater oil and natural gas projects."

* A pretty devastating account: "In BP's Record, a History of Boldness and Costly Blunders."

* Gen. David Petraeus wants to enlist Afghan villagers in the fight against the Taliban. President Hamid Karzai isn't exactly on board with the plan.

* Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) intends to move forward with a committee vote on New START before the August recess. Jacob Heilbrunn argues that it deserves to be ratified.

* "One Nation" poised to proceed: "In an effort to replicate the tea party's success, 170 liberal and civil rights groups are forming a coalition that they hope will match the movement's political energy and influence. They promise to 'counter the tea party narrative' and help the progressive movement find its voice again after 18 months of foundering."

* For those who value ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in the federal judiciary, President Obama's record is second to none.

* The NAACP may vote as early as tomorrow on a resolution condemning racism within the Tea Party "movement."

* Considering the effects of funding shortfalls at the nation's public universities.

* For all the complaints, the U.S. Postal Service is run pretty darn well.

* Good piece on sea otters, global warming, and carbon trading.

* 100 years later, Mark Twain's autobiography, as dictated to a stenographer: "[I]n his unexpurgated autobiography, whose first volume is about to be published a century after his death, a very different Twain emerges, more pointedly political and willing to play the role of the angry prophet."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 12, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024688.php

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

* A critical moment is just a few hours away: "BP plans to gradually close the outlets in the newly recapped gulf oil well, performing an 'integrity test' that could temporarily halt the flow of the oil for the first time in 85 days, and possibly allow engineers to "shut in" the well permanently."

* The number of 99ers -- Americans unemployed for 99 weeks -- stands at 1.4 million. The number has "grown sixfold in the past three years."

* Earth's hottest January-to-June on record. If only 60 senators cared.

* On a related note, expect a Senate debate on a still-unseen energy/climate bill in two weeks.

* If confirmed, Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew will replace Peter Orszag as the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Lew's qualifications aren't in doubt -- he held the exact same job in the Clinton administration.

* Federal officials have long considered Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) sand berm proposal to be pretty dumb. They were right, and as is often the case, Jindal was wrong.

* Some welcome economic news: better-than-expected profits from Alcoa, CSX, and Intel.

* Post-Katrina shootings: "Six current and former police officers were charged in connection with shootings on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina that left two dead and four wounded, federal law enforcement officials announced here on Tuesday."

* Indefinite detention and the case of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani: "A federal judge has rejected a claim by a terrorist defendant in Manhattan that his nearly five years of detention by the American government before being transferred into the civilian court system violated his Constitutional right to a speedy trial."

* Senate Republicans have found the one thing they're good at: forcing needless delays. "Elena Kagan will have to wait one more week to find out if the Senate Judiciary Committee will recommend her to the full Senate for confirmation to the Supreme Court."

* Speaking of the Senate GOP, the votes are there to end the chamber's practice of secret holds, but Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) won't allow the measure to reach the floor.

* The closer one looks at Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl's (R-Ariz.) economic ideas, the more incoherent they appear.

* Inexcusable: "Deadly yet easily preventable bloodstream infections continue to plague American hospitals because facility administrators fail to commit resources and attention to the problem, according to a survey of medical professionals released Monday."

* Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.) comes up with some very odd conspiracy theories.

* Questioning the conventional wisdom that says the United States does not send enough of its young people to college.

* Regular Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers talked to host/activist/propagandist Megyn Kelly about the absurd "controversy" surrounding the New Black Panther Party. Powers is conservative, but dismisses this as nonsense. This led Kelly to freak out a bit, and threaten to cut Powers' microphone. Let this be a lesson for on-air contributors: Fox News exists for the dissemination of the agreed upon message/narrative -- and nothing else.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 13, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024710.php

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

* On hold in the Gulf: "The government ordered BP to postpone a critical test on the runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico until scientists could determine whether the test on the new containment cap would not put damaging pressure on the well that could ultimately jeopardize the plugging of the leak. As of late Wednesday afternoon, BP officials and government scientists, including Energy Secretary Stephen Chu were meeting to discuss the test procedures, and how best to minimize any risks."

* By another account, government officials are "conferring Wednesday with BP executives and engineers about whether, and how, to proceed with the all-important 'integrity test' that could temporarily shut down the well and could potentially throttle the flow permanently."

* A devastating day in Afghanistan: "Eight American troops were killed in a series of attacks in southern Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday as Taliban militants pushed back against an effort to secure the volatile region."

* Stimulus facts are stubborn things: "White House economists praised the government's $787 billion stimulus program as a success on Wednesday, saying it had saved or created 2.5 million to 3.6 million jobs since it was signed a year ago.... The White House also estimated that gross domestic product, a measure of overall economic output, was 2.7 to 3.2 percent higher than it would have been without the stimulus. The new estimate is in line with projections by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."

* On a related note, Larry Summers is making the economic case for extended unemployment benefits.

* Right off the bat, 41 million Americans will benefit from this: "From counseling for kids who struggle with their weight, to cancer screenings for their parents, preventive health care will soon be available at no out-of-pocket cost under consumer rules the Obama administration unveiled Wednesday. That means no copays, deductibles or coinsurance for people whose health insurance plans are covered by the new requirements."

* Indeed, the list of changes that benefit consumers from the Affordable Care Act is surprisingly long.

* The White House unveiled the "first formal national HIV/AIDS strategy, a plan that aims to reduce the number of new cases by 25 percent in the next five years, officials said."

* Encouraging ruling: "A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a new Nebraska law requiring mental health screenings for women seeking abortions because the measure could have made it impossible to get an abortion in the state."

* Dems hoped to convince Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to break from the GOP on a bipartisan campaign finance reform bill. That's not going to happen.

* Matt Miller wonders why "America's business ingrates" are so irrationally hostile to the Obama administration.

* Telling the truth about cheating in higher ed.

* And in Mason City, Iowa, the North Iowa Tea Party purchased a billboard this week equating President Obama with Hitler and Lenin, declaring, "Radical Leaders Prey on the Fearful & Naive." The head of the right-wing group, responding to outraged responses, told the AP, "The purpose of the billboard was to draw attention to the socialism. It seems to have been lost in the visuals." The display is now being taken down, but it's a nevertheless a reminder of the seriousness of thought Tea Partiers bring to the table.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 14, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024728.php

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

* As if this wasn't a big enough news day already, Goldman settles: "Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the largest penalty ever paid by a Wall Street firm, to settle charges of securities fraud linked to mortgage investments. Under the terms of the deal, Goldman will pay $300 million in fines to the Treasury Department, with the rest serving as restitution to investors in the mortgage-linked security. Goldman will not admit wrongdoing, though it will admit that its marketing materials for the investment 'contained incomplete information.'"

* Still high, but much better: "Today, the Labor Department announced that weekly initial jobless claims had fallen to a nearly two-year low -- declining 29,000 to 429,000." The best far exceeded expectations.

* I guess Petraeus proved to be persuasive: "In a welcome step forward for the Obama administration's beleaguered war strategy, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has approved a U.S.-backed plan to create local defense forces across the country in an attempt to build grass-roots opposition to the Taliban, U.S. and Afghan officials said Wednesday."

* On a related note, Fred Kaplan argues that Petraeus really has begun making improvements, "but they won't matter if Karzai doesn't reform."

* House Ethics committee takes a closer look at eight House members "who solicited and took large contributions from financial institutions even as they were debating the landmark regulatory bill, according to lawyers involved in the inquiry." Five of the eight are Republicans, three are Democrats.

* For the first time, First Lady Michelle Obama has issued a formal statement on pending legislation. In this case, she's praised the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act, which was approved by the House Education and Labor Committee today.

* Port au Prince, six months later.

* An anti-Muslim ad from the well-funded, hysterical National Republican Trust PAC has been rejected by CBS and NBC.

* How irresponsible are Republican demands for an extension of Bush's tax cuts? Even Alan Greenspan thinks the cuts should expire as scheduled.

* You may have heard the rumor out of Minnesota that felons voting illegally helped propel Sen. Al Franken (D) to victory. Don't believe it.

* Speaking of manufactured Fox News garbage, Jon Chait takes a look at the ridiculous New Black Panther Party "story" and "the most widespread and mainstream right-wing effort to exploit racial fears against Obama."

* College attendance rates are higher than ever. Whether the students graduate is another matter.

* I often wonder whether House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) believes his own nonsense. I'd feel better about him if I knew Pence was just deliberately trying to deceive the public.

* And in response to the NAACP condemning Tea Partiers' racism, Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams is lashing out in jaw-dropping ways. Any chance Williams is a liberal plant, intended to make right-wing zealots look ridiculous?

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 15, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024748.php

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

* Not awful, but not quite the results we were hoping for, either: "The federal pointman for the BP oil spill says results are short of ideal in the new cap but the oil will stay shut in for another 6 hours at least. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said on a Friday afternoon conference pressure readings from the cap have not reached the level that would show there are no other leaks in the well."

* Maybe now the Fed can stop worrying about inflation? Please? "We aren't technically in a period of deflation yet, as core inflation continues to remain positive. But last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this morning, the United States experienced the third straight month of technical deflation, with the price of consumer goods falling 0.1 percent."

* Public support for the U.S. policy in Afghanistan is not only faltering, it's reaching new lows.

* It was the warmest June on record. If only 60 senators cared. (thanks to R.K. for the tip)

* American soldier suicides: "Soldiers killed themselves at the rate of one per day in June making it the worst month on record for Army suicides, the service said Thursday."

* Bybee speaks: "A former Bush Justice Department official who approved brutal interrogation methods by the C.I.A. has told Congress that he never authorized several other rough tactics reportedly inflicted on terrorism suspects -- including prolonged shackling to a ceiling and repeated beatings."

* Argentina joins the fairly small group of countries that have embraced marriage equality. It's the first country, however, to do so in Latin America.

* One of the standard GOP talking points on tax rates for the wealthy is to express concern for small businesses. Don't believe it.

* Ta-Nehisi Coates on the dispute between Tea Partiers and the NAACP.

* Chris Hayes on the similarities between the argument on deficit reduction and the argument to sell the war in Iraq.

* Wouldn't Elizabeth Warren be a fine choice to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Board?

* Community colleges may be hot, but they're really going to have to pick up their game.

* Apparently, an aide to former one-term Gov. Mitt Romney (R) had some unkind words about former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin (R). A Palin aide talked to Politico, which published my favorite sentence of the day: "'For Washington consultants to sit around and personally disparage the Governor anonymously to reporters is unfortunate and counterproductive and frankly immature,' the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, continued."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 16, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024769.php

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

* Uncertainty in the Gulf: "A pressure test of BP's undersea well that has kept fresh oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico will be allowed to continue for another day, despite concerns about potential new problems near the well, the government official overseeing the spill response said Monday."

* Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters there are leaks, but they're not a major concern yet. As for the seepage, Allen believes it may be unrelated to the wellhead.

* Iraq: "Two suicide bombings targeting members of local guard forces killed at least 48 people Sunday and heightened concern about the future of the groups as the number of U.S. troops in the country is reduced."

* A fascinating Washington Post report: "The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work." Plenty of good analysis on this today.

* Sixteen "notable economists and historians have joined in a consensus statement" to endorse additional government stimulus. Good advice.

* Glenn Beck's friends at Goldline may be facing some legal trouble.

* Looks like the White House signing ceremony on Wall Street reform will be on Wednesday.

* Bradford Plumer takes a look at where things stand on the energy/climate bill, and whether the bill would still be worthwhile if it lacks cap-and-trade.

* It's hard to feel sorry for CEOs who get "everything they want, yet still they whine."

* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) knows exactly where to turn for a 10-minute interview that ignores all of his recent controversies. (I'll give you a hint: it rhymes with Rox Snooze.)

* I'm delighted the United Nations ignored congressional Republicans and extended accreditation to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

* Sounds right: "If students aren't ready for life after high school, provide them with what they need to get there. Perhaps equally important, if they're ready for college, they can just go there."

* Leading Tea Party activist Mark Williams has apparently been deemed a little too racist for his own right-wing "movement."

* The FBI worked with a company called Blogetery over the weekend to shut down some servers after officials found al Qaeda materials, child pornography, bomb-making tips, and a list of Americans appearing on a "hit list." Tea Party Nation was outraged, and suggested this might a "dry run" for the government shutting down websites "critical of the [Obama] regime." The hysterical paranoia just never ends.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 19, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024800.php

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

* Another possible option in the Gulf: "The federal government's spill chief is considering whether to pump heavy mud and cement through BP's experimental well cap that's keeping oil from the Gulf of Mexico. Retired U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen says Tuesday that the procedure would make it easier to complete the permanent fix of plugging the oil from the bottom of the blown out well because the oil would be smashed in from two directions."

* And what about that seepage? Officials apparently believe it's coming from a different well.

* The Senate voted 60 to 40 today to end a Republican filibuster of extended unemployment benefits. Two Republicans -- Maine's Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe -- sided with the majority, while one Democrat -- Nebraska's Ben Nelson -- fought to prevent a vote on the legislation.

* If only there were 60 votes for aid to states: "Since the start of the recession, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia have curtailed programs that include meal deliveries, housekeeping aid and assistance for family caregivers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization. That threatens to reverse a long-term trend of enabling people to stay in their homes longer."

* Under the circumstances, this seems more than fair: "Senior Democrats on the [House Energy and Commerce Committee] -- Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) -- used a hearing on the Interior Department's role [in the BP oil spill] to trace the disaster back to former Vice President Dick Cheney's energy policy task force."

* When Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) says the White House has never called him, he's not telling the truth.

* Harold Pollack on HIV policy: "[Last] Tuesday, the Obama administration released its National HIV/AIDS Strategy. It's imperfect, but its authors should be proud. Whatever criticisms one may have of this administration, its policy analysts are allowed to discuss serious problems as mature adults, with a minimum of the embarrassing oversimplification, euphemism, or blatant political shading. In areas such as HIV and drug policy, this is refreshing."

* In our reality, congressional Republicans have fought for weeks to oppose extended aid to the jobless. In Rep. Steve King's (R-Iowa) reality, accurate observations are "crazy."

* This clearly isn't a great time to be a recent law school graduate.

* I have to admit, I find the ongoing conservative hyperventilating about the now-defunct Journolist pretty amusing. If folks were talking about signing their names to an open letter -- a letter I signed, by the way -- then maybe it wasn't a secret plot?

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 20, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024819.php

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

* Latest from the Gulf: "BP has temporarily corked a relief tunnel deep beneath the sea floor as tropical rainstorms move toward the Gulf of Mexico. The tunnel will be used to blast mud and cement into BP's leaky well, hopefully sealing it off for good. But the threat of a tropical storm has prompted the oil giant to shut off the tunnel to keep it from being damaged."

* Not exactly reassuring: "Ben S. Bernanke, the Fed chairman, told Congress on Wednesday that it would take 'a significant amount of time' to restore the 8.5 million jobs lost in the United States in 2008 and 2009, and warned that 'the economic outlook remains unusually uncertain.' He also warned that financial conditions, particularly the European sovereign debt crisis, had 'become less supportive of economic growth in recent months.'"

* Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack held a press conference late this afternoon, apologizing to Shirley Sherrod and for the debacle. He's asked her to return to her job, and Sherrod is reportedly considering it.

* Eyeing Pyongyang: "The United States Wednesday unveiled new sanctions against North Korea after the sinking of a South Korean warship and said the attack could be the start of more provocations by the communist state."

* I'd hoped for more, given the seriousness and scope of the scandal: "The Bush administration's Justice Department's actions were inappropriately political, but not criminal, when it fired a U.S. attorney in 2006, prosecutors said Wednesday in closing a two-year investigation without filing charges."

* Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination picks up another GOP supporter -- Indiana's Richard Lugar.

* Why would gunman Byron Williams have an interest in targeting the Tides Foundation? It's hard to say for sure at this point, but Glenn Beck talks about the foundation quite a bit.

* Chait on the conservative pseudojournalist method.

* More Americans are going to college, but more Americans are also starting to wonder if it's worth it.

* The right is still working on Journolist conspiracies. In the process, they're making stuff up.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 21, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024836.php

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

* Not exactly what response teams in the Gulf need right now: "BP's ruptured well will remain capped if ships evacuate the Gulf of Mexico because of a looming storm, the federal government's oil spill chief said Thursday. Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said growing confidence in the cap's security convinced scientists it was safe to leave it unmonitored for a few days."

* In the meantime, China is dealing with a massive oil spill of its own.

* As of 5:15 p.m. (ET), the bill to extend unemployment benefits was literally in the car, on the way to the White House.

* Last week, the new jobless claims were encouraging. This week, not so much: "New U.S. claims for jobless benefits climbed more steeply than anticipated last week, the latest sign that the moribund labor market is struggling to recover."

* The signing of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act (IPERA) shouldn't get lost in the shuffle today: "In a bid to show voters his administration is concerned with reducing wasteful government spending, President Obama signed a bill aimed at cutting improper payments to individuals, organizations, and contractors."

* The next step in the two-year review into Charlie Rangel: "The House ethics committee has launched a separate panel to determine whether Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has violated House ethics rules. The panel, called an adjudicatory subcommittee, will hold a public organizational meeting July 29."

* Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner praised Wall Street bailout watchdog Elizabeth Warren today, saying she'd be "a very effectively leader" of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. He added, "She is one of the most effective advocates of reform in the country."

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been fighting tooth and nail against initiatives launched by the Obama White House -- but it's the USCOC that keeps losing.

* If Senate Republicans block ratification of the New START treaty, "American credibility on nuclear issues would evaporate," and every country that's signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty would ask itself, "If the U.S. is unwilling to live up to its commitments, why should we live up to ours?"

* Ugh: "Nonprofit BlueCross and BlueShield health plans in several states, including Tennessee, stockpiled billions of dollars during the past decade, yet continued to hit consumers with hefty premium increases that could have been reduced in some cases, a new consumer study contends."

* Given the interest in the Obamas' travel plans: "Before beginning their long-planned summer vacation on Martha's Vineyard, America's first family will head to Florida's oil-stricken Gulf Coast."

* One of the unfortunate side effects of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) siding with Republicans on Wall Street reform? He wanted the bill to get stronger, but Feingold's efforts inadvertently made it weaker.

* Megyn Kelly, still confused about current events.

* Welcome transparency: "Soon, families might have a slightly better idea what they might actually pay to attend college."

* If I haven't mention it lately, Sam Seder is a very clever man.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 22, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024855.php

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

* In the Gulf: "Ships relaying the sights and sounds from BP's broken oil well stood fast Friday as the leftovers of Tropical Storm Bonnie blew straight for the spill site, threatening to force a full evacuation that would leave engineers clueless about whether a makeshift cap on the gusher was holding."

* Oh my: "Long before an eruption of gas turned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig into a fireball, an alarm system designed to alert the crew and prevent combustible gases from reaching potential sources of ignition had been deliberately disabled, the former chief electronics technician on the rig testified Friday."

* European banks fared better than expected in their "stress tests."

* As the U.S. prepares for joint military drills with South Korea, North Korea is threatening a "physical response."

* Why congressional Republicans continue to cozy up to Wall Street is a mystery: "The government's pay czar announced Friday that 17 companies benefiting from federal bailout money handed out $1.6 billion in excess executive pay at the height of the financial crisis. The firms include Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America."

* As Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai considers outreach his fellow Pashtuns in the insurgency, he's losing one-time allies.

* With Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on board, there are now three Senate Republicans prepared to support Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination.

* President Obama takes a brief victory lap after some legislative breakthroughs this week.

* If you want to talk about austerity, let's talk about the Pentagon.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), facing serious ethics allegations, doesn't know how to say "no comment."

* Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) sounds cautiously optimistic about New START ratification.

* We certainly should do better than sixth: "[T]he U.S. now ranks sixth in the world in terms of the percent of the population with college credentials."

* R.I.P., Daniel Schorr.

* The lunatics from the Westboro Baptist "Church" descended on Comic Con in San Diego this week. I greatly enjoyed the counter-protest; those are my kind of folks (the geeks, not the bigots).

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 23, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024874.php

I think the idea is to put a university degree out of the reach of most Americans. Rising tuition is doing just that.

Considering that many college programs (such as nursing for instance) do not have space for qualified students who apply for admission (many nursing programs are actually turning away would be students who have 4.0 gpa.) it is a shame that students from other countries are not only sponsored by businesses (such as hospitals) but are given tuition breaks and perks, guarranteed jobs, etc. while they are in school as well as when they graduate....I firmly believe that in the case of education that charity should begin at home and all Americans who want one should be able to receive a college education before we educate the rest of the world...

I believe that corporate America believes that those foreigners will work for less money which means that there is more money for investors.

Thack
Your so right about that and we have way more degree people in this country, then we have those kind of jobs for... All degree folks can do is to compete with each other for so few type of work requiring Degrees... Then when you get the degree especially in the Technical area, the employers will find out that they are 7 to 8 years behind the present technology, which will require the employers to do much more training for the newbies...
  

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

* Tony Hayward is out as BP's chief executive: "On Monday, BP's board is expected to announce that Hayward, 53, will step down on Oct. 1. The departure, say people close to the company, will be his decision as much as the board's. Hayward, a geologist who has spent his entire career working for BP, is said to recognize that he has become a liability as the company tries to move forward."

* The materials on the war in Afghanistan published through Wikileaks are important, but they're probably not the Pentagon Papers.

* Despite an assumption that Senate Republicans will refuse to allow the chamber to vote on the legislation, the DISCLOSE Act will likely come to the floor for consideration this week, probably tomorrow. President Obama is pushing the GOP to let the Senate vote.

* Housing surprise: "New-home buying surged in June after a May plunge caused by the end of a government tax credit, according to a better-than-expected report on the ailing housing sector."

* If you're looking for the Senate Dems' scaled-back energy bill, its release has been pushed until tomorrow.

* On a related note, thanks to unexpected support from Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kas.), there's hope for a renewable energy standard in the bill.

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) thinks the war in Iraq is over. That guy is so deeply confused, it's painful to think reporters still consider him an expert on military matters.

* Are the ethics charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) serious? Yes, they are.

* This year's deficit: $1.47 trillion. That's actually a little lower than previously estimated.

* It's sometimes fun to laugh at Rep. Steve King's (R-Iowa) extremism, but some of his positions aren't funny: "[King] last week voted against a bill making it easier for Native American tribal courts to prosecute non-natives who commit rape and other crimes on tribal lands." (thanks to B.D. for the tip)

* I have low expectations, but I'm glad Senate reform continues to percolate.

* Thought-provoking piece from Van Jones on culture and technology in the wake of the Shirley Sherrod story. (thanks to T.D. for the reminder)

* Not all for-profit colleges are the same.

* If context is irrelevant, and misleading editing is acceptable, Breitbart appears to love al Qaeda.

* On a related note, many in the media would us believe "both sides" do what Breitbart does. That's not even close to being true.

* Greg Sargent on the right's bizarre fascination with Journolist: "The real story here is that right wing media are engaged in a coordinated, conspiratorial effort to pretend that J-List represented a Vast Left-wing Media Conspiracy, when the evidence conclusively shows otherwise."

* And on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin (D) will preside over the House of Representatives this afternoon. Langevin, who is a quadriplegic, will be the first person in a wheelchair to wield the gavel.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 26, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024905.php

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

* Changes at BP: "Three months after its giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a chastened BP outlined a new strategy on Tuesday to revamp operations and practices around the world and turn it into a leaner operator under a new leader. But even as BP increased the money set aside for spill-related costs to $32.2 billion, executives reiterated that the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion was not a result of gross negligence by the company."

* On a related note, BP's Tony Hayward is leaving with a severance package that congressional Democrats aren't at all happy about.

* If only a couple of Senate Republicans cared: "Worldwide, 2010 is on track to become the warmest year on record. Scientists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies reported recently that the average global temperature was higher over the past 12 months than during any other 12-month period in history."

* What happened to the billions of dollars in the Iraq reconstruction fund between 2003 and 2007? No one seems to know.

* It's obscure, at least for now, but we should care about Basel III.

* Will Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) cut a deal with the ethics committee? It's look a lot less likely.

* Volt gets a price tag: "The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in car capable of driving about 40 miles at a time on battery power without using any gasoline, will have a sticker price of $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, General Motors said Tuesday. G.M. will also lease the Volt for $350 a month in the hopes of attracting consumers who want lower monthly payments or would hesitate to buy the vehicle until they are more comfortable with its technology."

* FEC raises eyebrows: "The starter's gun went off last week in the squalid new race for unlimited campaign cash. The Federal Election Commission approved the creation of two 'independent' campaign committees, one each from the left and right, expressly designed to take advantage of the new world of no rules."

* Good piece on the aims and standards of conservative media.

* On a related note, conservatives won't want to hear this, but Journolist really was a terrific resource.

* When public colleges get less funding, but spend more on sports anyway, it seems problematic.

* And Dave Weigel lands on his feet, joining the staff at Slate. All's well that ends well?

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 27, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024925.php

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

* The Beige Book disappoints a bit: "The economic expansion has proceeded unevenly this summer, according to a new Federal Reserve report, with new pockets of weakness emerging in parts of the country."

* On a related note: "The latest report on orders to factory for big-ticket items on Wednesday offered another sign that the United States economy was losing strength in the second half the year."

* The oil from the disaster in the Gulf "appears to be dissolving far more rapidly than anyone expected." This does not, however, "end the many problems and scientific uncertainties associated with the spill."

* President Obama talks up the Democrats' small-business-incentives bill in New Jersey: "The provisions of this bill are things that the Republican Party has supported for years," Obama said. "This is as American as apple pie. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are central to our identity as a nation.... I expect us to get this done."

* U.S. troops continue to return home from Iraq.

* Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) announced today she will vote for Elena Kagan's Supreme Court confirmation. She's the fourth Senate Republicans to announce her support for the nominee.

* Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is starting to lose some of his Democratic friends.

* A worthwhile first for the VA: "The Under Secretary of Health at the Veterans Administration issued a little-noticed directive to VA medical facilities recently, informing facilities that patients who legally use medical marijuana may not be denied access to health services because of their outside prescription."

* The sooner the Senate acts, the better: "The U.S. Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday approved the nomination of three new members to the Federal Reserve's powerful board, including Janet Yellen for vice chairman, clearing the way for a final vote by the whole Senate."

* Is Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) obsessed with gutting the EPA? Yep.

* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), still mad as a hatter.

* Not good: "There's not going to be enough money to fully fund Pell Grants, the government program that provides money to help low-income students to attend college."

* Jeffrey Lord just can't bring himself to shut up.

* Bill O'Reilly joins the rest of the sensible universe in opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

* Glenn Beck's Goldline scheme, illustrated.

* I intended to highlight the pathetic op-ed from Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen in the Wall Street Journal today, but just didn't have the stomach for it. Thankfully, Alex Pareene was on the case.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 28, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 024944.php

If the above post is skewing the thread, just delete it.

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

* In Battle Creek, Michigan, federal regulators told Enbridge Energy Partners, a Canadian company, that its "monitoring of corrosion in the pipeline was insufficient." That pipeline has now spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into a major river in southern Michigan.

* Manhunt ends on the outskirts of Kabul: "The second U.S. sailor who went missing in eastern Afghanistan last week has been found dead and his body recovered."

* Despite some talk earlier today of a possible settlement, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) is now facing 13 charges of House rules violations.

* This afternoon, President Obama signed the Tribal Law and Order Act, giving tribes the right and resources to "investigate and prosecute rapes perpetrated by non-Natives on tribal lands."

* Is it really that hard to get a warrant? "The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation."

* The president maps out a defense of his education reform agenda.

* Better, but still too high: "The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell to 457,000 last week, a figure that signals the labor market will be slow to improve even as the economy grows."

* Citigroup settles with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

* Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee want a hearing on the New Black Panther Party. They're not going to get one.

* And the media rejoices: Shirley Sherrod intends to sue right-wing hatchet-man Andrew Breitbart.

* Congress is considering lifting a ban on Internet gambling, originally imposed by Republicans in 2006.

* Jonathan Cohn considers the "stupidity of liberal apathy."

* Brendan Nyhan considers the persistence of the death panels myth.

* Michelle Cottle watches Obama on "The View" so I don't have to.

* The End of Sallie Mae?

* If there's one thing the right-wing loves, it's selective editing.

* And Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) reminds us why he's definitely a #1 seed in the brackets for Most Conspicuously Unintelligent House Member contest.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 29, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024963.php

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

* Afghanistan: "Three U.S. troops died in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll for July to at least 63 and surpassing the previous month's record as the deadliest for American forces in the nearly 9-year-old war."

* The Bush Recession was even worse than we realized: "The worst U.S. recession since the 1930s was even deeper than previously estimated, reflecting bigger slumps in consumer spending and housing, according to revised figures."

* Federal court judge Susan Bolton, recommended for the bench by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), blocked the implementation yesterday of several provisions of Arizona's anti-immigrant bill. Now, she's facing death threats.

* Rangel's reprimand? "The subcommittee that investigated Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has recommended that the embattled lawmaker face just a 'reprimand,' a mild form of punishment similar to that given to Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) when he was rebuked in 1997."

* Keep standing up for yourself, EPA.

* Happy Anniversary, Medicare. Here's hoping the next Congress doesn't try to subject you to a death panel.

* Something to keep an eye on: "The world's first authorized test in people of a treatment derived from human embryonic stem cells has been cleared to begin by the Food and Drug Administration. The trial will test cells developed by Geron Corporation and the University of California, Irvine in patients with new spinal cord injuries."

* Unacceptable: "Someone accused of killing a white person in North Carolina is nearly three times as likely to get the death penalty than someone accused of killing a black person, according to a study released Thursday by two researchers who looked at death sentences over a 28-year period."

* Rumor has it that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is one of the sharper members of the House Republican caucus, but when one considers his actual ideas, Ryan is still "stone-cold ignorant."

* Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) will vote to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. He's the fifth Republican senator to announce his support for the nomination.

* Even Robert Kagan, a bona fide neocon, supports ratification of New START. It just needs eight Republicans.

* Newt Gingrich is deeply confused, but so is his spokesperson.

* The GAO offers more support for those who believe there's money to be saved in the Pentagon budget.

* Sorry to see True/Slant close its virtual doors.

* There are no credible defenses for crack/powder sentencing disparities, but Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) gives it a shot (and fails miserably).

* Fixing California's higher education problems is harder than it looks.

* If it never occurred to you to connect "The Simpsons" to Weather Underground and '60s-era radicalism, then you're probably not watching Glenn Beck.

* And Washington Times columnist Jeffrey Kuhner continues to make a name for himself, this week suggesting it's time for Arizona to consider secession. He seems quite serious about it.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM July 30, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_07/024979.php

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

* The next big step in the Gulf: "BP plans to begin easing mud into its runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico by Monday night, a preliminary step in a 'static kill' procedure that potentially could kill the Macondo well by midweek."

* There were several encouraging economic reports released this morning, including "the Institute for Supply Management's index of U.S. manufacturing activity" which showed better-than-expected results for July.

* Within the hour, the Senate will vote to end a filibuster on a bill for state aid and teacher funding -- every penny of which is paid for. Sources tell me Republicans are likely to kill the legislation anyway, just because. I'll have a full report in the morning.

* On a related note, the small-business-incentives bill isn't quite dead yet.

* As expected, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) will face an ethics committee trial "for her role in steering federal funds to a bank to which she is personally connected."

* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced today he will not let the Senate consider James Clapper's nomination as the next director of national intelligence. Clapper was unanimously approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, but McCain does enjoy his tantrums.

* The House passed new safeguards for offshore drilling late last week. Senate Republicans will probably kill the bill.

* Newsweek was sold today to industrialist Sidney Harman. Jon Meacham is departing as the magazine's editor.

* I was under the impression that Dick Cheney had left the hospital. He hasn't.

* The RNC still isn't distancing itself from right-wing hatchetman Andrew Breitbart.

* Michelle Obama continues to tout the Child Nutrition Bill.

* On net neutrality, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) gets it.

* Former Vice President Al Gore will not face prosecution "on an allegation of sexual assault from 2006."

* It's frustrating when turnout for primaries is low.

* When states struggle to manage higher education spending.

* Ed Luce does a fine job documenting the "crisis of middle-class America."

* And Elon Green takes a very compelling -- and very amusing -- look at Pam Geller's "The Post-American Presidency."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM August 2, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 025011.php