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

* Libya: "Moammar Gadhafi struck a defiant stance Thursday after two high-profile defections from his regime, saying he's not the one who should go -- it's the Western leaders who have decimated his military with airstrikes who should resign immediately."

* We shouldn't expect that regime to collapse anytime soon: "Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is not close to a military breaking point even though coalition strikes have seriously degraded his fighting power, the top U.S. military officer told Congress Thursday."

* Japan: "Japan is increasingly turning to other countries for help as it struggles to stabilize its tsunami-stricken nuclear plant and stop radiation leaks that are complicating efforts to recover the bodies of some of the thousands swept away by the towering wave. French, American and international experts -- even a robot -- are either in Japan or on their way, and French President Nicholas Sarkozy visited Tokyo on Thursday to meet with the prime minister and show solidarity."

* We're actually getting close to a genuinely good number: "Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that layoffs are dropping and companies may be stepping up hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000 for the week that ended March 26."

* There were rumors yesterday that the White House was prepared to accept GOP demands on a roll back of the Environmental Protection Agency's regulatory power. Those rumors appear to be completely wrong.

* Good move: "Wednesday evening, the White House issued a veto threat of major legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, if it still includes the anti-union measure the House Transportation Committee passed. The measure would undermine union organization votes, counting any non-vote by an eligible employee as a 'no' vote."

* In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott (R) will present cuts for the developmentally disabled -- and then attend a Special Olympics photo-op.

* Speaking of the Sunshine State, a Democratic state representative in Florida was rebuked for using the word "uterus" on the state House floor. You really should read this one; it's a doozy.

* Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) doesn't believe federal employees should have collective-bargaining rights. Try to contain your surprise.

* Yes, President Obama has a computer.

* Dear Newt Gingrich, when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is mocking you, it's evidence you've reached new lows.

* Daniel Luzer: "Online education seems like a good way for colleges to make money. Low cost, high volume, no classrooms or office hours needed. Just sit back and watch the cash roll in, right? Not really."

* Let's just say that "squirmish" is as much a word as "refudiate" is.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM March 31, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_03/028730.php

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

* The Ivory Coast crisis may be nearing an end: "Reeling from mass defections of his soldiers and security forces, Ivory Coast's strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, deployed a dwindling but determined band of loyalists Friday to defend his residence, the presidential palace and the state television station in an effort to hold off a direct assault on his embattled rule."

* Libya: "A senior aide to one of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's sons has held secret talks in London with British authorities, a friend of the aide said on Friday, adding to the confusion and anxiety swirling around the Tripoli regime after the defection of a high-ranking minister and the departure of another senior figure to Cairo."

* Japan: "Japanese and U.S. military ships and helicopters trolled Japan's tsunami-ravaged coastline looking for bodies Friday, part of an all-out search that could be the last chance to find those swept out to sea nearly three weeks ago."

* Syria: "Thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities around Syria on Friday to chants of 'We want freedom' and security forces responded with tear gas, electrified batons, clubs and bullets, killing at least seven people, according to activists, residents and a Syrian human rights group."

* Still no deal: "Congress lurched into another weekend with no plan to fund the federal government, as House Republicans stood firm against talk that they had struck a deal with Senate Democrats to cut roughly $30 billion from federal accounts."

* President Obama thinks a shutdown would be bad for the economy. He's right.

* I can only hope Congress listens to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah: "As Congress struggles to negotiate a budget deal to keep the government running, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) told lawmakers Wednesday that the GOP version of the budget bill would result in the deaths of at least 70,000 children who depend on American food and health assistance around the world."

* As an extension of the fairly good news on jobs, don't forget that revisions in recent months make the job picture look even better than initially realized.

* In 2010, American workers' pay went up 2%. American CEO pay went up 27%.

* Donald Trump will reportedly have a segment every Monday morning on Fox News. (I spent a little time today making sure this isn't an April Fools' joke, and while I'm still not certain, it appears to be legit.)

* For a paid, Washington Post professional, I'm amazed Jennifer Rubin is unfamiliar with control-F, especially when she's falsely accusing Ed Kilgore of being "under-informed."

* Former CIA official Michael Scheuer really appears to be losing it.

* Three days later, the ignominious Megyn Kelly gives the conclusion of the NBPP party story -- which she's invested an enormous amount of time in hyping -- 20 seconds of air time.

* I've never entirely understood why colleges offer remedial courses anyway.

* Rutgers University paid Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi" $32,000 to deliver a speech. Rutgers paid Toni Morrison $30,000 to deliver a commencement address. Snooki has a reality show; Morrison has a Nobel prize in literature. And civilization suffers another painful setback.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 1, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028751.php

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

* Japan: "Tokyo Electric Power Company began dumping more than 11,000 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Monday, mostly to make room in storage containers for increasing amounts of far more contaminated runoff."

* Libya: "Rebel fighters pushed back into this hard-fought oil town on Monday, seizing half of Brega and pledging to drive out Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces in hours in an advance that would open a vital conduit for oil sales by the opposition."

* U.S. officials had stood behind Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen, because he's a long-time ally. No more: "The United States, which long supported Yemen's president, even in the face of recent widespread protests, has now quietly shifted positions and has concluded that he is unlikely to bring about the required reforms and must be eased out of office, according to American and Yemeni officials."

* That would have been an interesting constitutional crisis: "Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald was repeatedly warned he would be stepping outside the law if he forcibly returned 14 Democratic senators who fled Wisconsin in February, according to internal emails." Part of the problem: there wasn't a police officer in Wisconsin prepared to forcibly detain state Senate Democrats.

* Transocean, the company that operated the infamous Deepwater Horizon oil rig, looked back at 2010 and patted itself on the back, handing on massive executive bonuses for its "best year in safety performance." As Kristen Bartoloni noted, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar was not amused.

* Radical TV Preacher Pat Robertson's support for Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo manages to look even worse upon further inspection.

* It's one things for anti-union ads to feature fake teachers. But could the far-right groups at least hire different fake teachers?

* Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R), just a few months on the job, has a fascinating new tax plan: tax breaks for the wealthy, tax hikes for the middle class.

* Great piece from Dahlia Lithwick on Clarence Thomas writing "one of the meanest Supreme Court decisions ever."

* If George Will hates trains, and sees them as part of a liberal conspiracy to "diminish Americans' individualism in order to make them more amenable to collectivism," why does he ride them?

* Good question: "[D]oes anyone else think political involvement might actually be a rather good form of education?" Yep.

* Today is the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. I've seen several noteworthy pieces today honoring the occasion, but given the larger circumstances, I'm partial to Leonard Pitts Jr.'s piece on MLK and the rights of labor. Take a look.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 4, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/028790.php

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

* Rebel forces struggling in Libya: "Forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi battered rebel fighters on the road outside this strategic oil town on Tuesday with rocket fire, mortars and artillery, driving them many miles to the north and leaving them in disarray."

* Ivory Coast: "Ivory Coast's strongman leader Laurent Gbagbo holed up in a bunker inside the presidential residence Tuesday, defiantly maintaining he won the election four months ago even as troops backing the internationally recognized winner encircled the home."

* House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) thinks the government will shut down on Friday night. So do I.

* At least something can pass both chambers: "After a months-long battle, the Senate voted Tuesday, 87 to 12, to repeal the 1099 tax-reporting requirement in Democrats' healthcare reform bill. The measure now goes to the president, who is expected to sign it, making it the first part of his party's signature reform bill to be scrapped."

* President Obama intends to veto any Republican efforts to invalidate net neutrality rules. I'm glad to hear it.

* I found this pretty amusing: "Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) wants to change the title of a bill that would permanently block Environmental Protection Agency climate regulations to the 'Koch Brothers Appreciation Act,' a reference to the billionaire brothers who are active in Republican politics."

* I'm not sure who's inclined to take Mark Penn's suggestions for campaign strategies seriously, but I suspect he'll keep offering advice anyway.

* Some crazy person attacked a Gauguin painting at the National Gallery of Art in Washington because she thought it promoted homosexuality.

* The religious right is now going after the American Cancer Society. For what it's worth, ACS, at least you're in good company.

* Maine Gov. Paul LePage's (R) bizarre move to hide a labor-history mural may end up costing state taxpayers $60,000. Electing right-wing buffoons to be governor is never a good idea.

* The lie about Pell Grants, the "welfare of the 21st century."

* House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) appeared on Glenn Beck's radio show earlier. After welcoming him to the show, the host said, "I love you." Ryan replied, "I love you, too."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 5, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028810.php

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

* President Obama will host a budget meeting at the White House tonight with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The discussion is set to begin at 8:45.

* Libya: "Stung by criticism from rebel leaders, NATO officials said Wednesday that the pace of attacks on the forces of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was increasing, after a slight slowdown as the coalition handed off responsibility earlier in the week."

* In the meantime, Gadhafi sent President Obama a letter, arguing that it'd be awfully nice of the coalition and NATO to stop firing on his military.

* Ivory Coast: "Opposition forces in Ivory Coast said Wednesday that they had begun an assault to dislodge the nation's strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, from a bunker under his residence after he refused French and United Nations demands to leave."

* House Republicans know their ridiculous one-week budget extension can't pass, but they're going to waste time on it anyway, in the hopes they can use it to play another partisan game.

* Remember the European debt crisis? It's not over: "Portugal's caretaker government decided Wednesday that it would ask the European Union for a financial bailout, after months of resisting such a move."

* The White House makes it easier to prove it gave you a tax cut.

* House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wants you to think former Clinton budget adviser Alice Rivlin supports his radical plan. She doesn't.

* Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), who really isn't well, believes funding NPR is unconstitutional. Whatever you say, Paul.

* On a related note, Liberty University, a school founded by a radical televangelist, gets more public funds through Pell Grants in a year than NPR gets through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

* News organizations really shouldn't struggle this much to report on the attack of a Gauguin painting at the National Gallery.

* Fox News' Juan Williams blasted the Washington Post for "burying" a news story about economic optimism among African Americans and Latinos. The Washington Post ran the story on the front page -- which is the opposite of "burying."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 6, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/028827.php

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

* The aftershock had a magnitude of 7.1: "The strongest aftershock to hit since the day of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan rocked a wide section of the country's northeast Thursday night, prompting a tsunami alert, raising fears of further damage to the already crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and knocking out external power at three other nuclear facilities. The public broadcaster, NHK, said there were local reports of injuries, fires and blackouts."

* Libya: "Deadly strikes on rebel fighters sparked confusion and outrage outside this port city Thursday, with rebels at first accusing NATO warplanes of targeting them, and a rebel spokeswoman later saying the attack came from forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi."

* We're actually very close to a genuinely good number: "The Labor Department said Thursday the number of people seeking benefits dropped 10,000 to 382,000 in the week ending April 2. That's the third drop in four weeks.... Applications near 375,000 are consistent with a sustained increase in hiring."

* On a related note, retail sales in March were stronger than expected. That's good news, too.

* Despite the realization that the bill won't pass, the House approved a one-week stop-gap spending measure today. It was designed to fail, and President Obama has vowed a veto.

* Last night, the House rejected a measure that said climate change is real. Here's the roll call; be sure to take note of the partisan breakdown.

* Sorry John McCain and other anti-gay Republicans; the Service Chiefs aren't finding any problems with the transition away from "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

* Is House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in control of his caucus? Not really.

* Fox News lies about poll results in ways even right-wing bloggers do not. If I didn't know better, I might think the Republican news network wants its viewers to be uninformed.

* The war on choice continues, Part I: "Lawmakers in Virginia approved an amendment Wednesday that would ban private insurance plans from covering abortions if they participate in a state health care exchange under President Obama's new health care law."

* The war on choice continues, Part II: "Marching in step with the GOP's nationwide war on a woman's right to choose, the Idaho legislature gave final approval to a bill that would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks."

* Good summary of Paul Ryan's budget plan from Ezra Klein.

* Daniel Luzer talks to Paul Combe, the president and CEO of American Student Assistance, one of America's largest student loan guarantors, about the structural problems in the industry.

* I didn't expect the "When Harry Met Sally II" clip to be quite this awesome.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), one of the leading House GOP lawmakers pushing for a government shutdown, told Fox News last night, "We're trying to score a victory for the Republican people." Pence corrected himself, changing it to "American people," but he needn't have bothered. He accidentally told the truth the first time.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 7, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028846.php

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

* With seven-and-a-half hours to go until the shutdown: "Senate Democratic leaders say a final deal to avert a government shutdown rests in the hands of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and will only happen if he drops an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood."

* Even if they somehow strike a deal tonight, "both sides agree" that it's "already too late for Congress to enact that complicated budget into law before midnight." It would take a day just to write a bill, and Congress would need a short-term spending bill, lasting perhaps until tomorrow, if an agreement can be reached.

* Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a close ally of Speaker Boehner, seems to think a final deal may still be reached by this evening.

* Republicans deny that the main sticking point is Planned Parenthood funding, but Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says emails -- which can be obtained through FOIA -- will prove Dems are telling the truth.

* No one seemed angrier about Republicans targeting Planned Parenthood than some of the Democratic women serving in the Senate.

* House Republicans voted today to repeal net neutrality. That's an extremely bad idea, and President Obama has already vowed to veto the measure should it reach his desk.

* I still find it extraordinary that her recovery has progressed this far, this quickly: "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords plans to attend the April 29 launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which her husband, Mark Kelly, will command, Giffords' office confirmed on Friday."

* When you know the House GOP's antics have pushed the line of decency too far: "Tea Party-affiliated Republican Rep. Allen West of Florida is out with a statement in which he says he is 'disgusted at the perception that Leaders in my own Party...are now using the men and women in uniform' to pass a short-term budget bill."

* It's as if CNN is trying to be awful: "CNN got in on the action Friday afternoon with a little segment that lets 'you decide' whether Trump's [birther] rants are valid or not, treating a point of fact as though it were theory. 'Donald Trump says Obama wasn't born here,' CNN anchor Deborah Feyerick says, in a teaser for the segment. 'We'll show you the evidence, and let you decide.'"

* As costs of higher ed go up, where does all the money go?

* Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) quotes the White Stripes at some length during floor remarks, which I suspect is a congressional first. Good for her.

* And to answer a question that's come up in a few reader emails, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about blogging tonight. I don't plan to be at my desk much, but under the circumstances, I'll be keeping an eye on developments, and will almost certainly have some kind of coverage this evening, even if it's just a post or two, though I'm not sure what time. I guess we'll play it by ear.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 8, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028863.php

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

* The Ivory Coast crisis comes to an end, as Laurent Gbagbo was pulled from his burning residence by the country's military and French personnel. "Images of Gbagbo being led into a room in a white undershirt were broadcast on television as proof of his capture even as he refused to sign a statement formally ceding power after losing November's election."

* Pakistan to CIA: you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here: "Pakistan has demanded that the United States steeply reduce the number of Central Intelligence Agency operatives and Special Operations forces working in Pakistan, and that it put on hold C.I.A. drone strikes aimed at militants in northwest Pakistan, a sign of the near collapse of cooperation between the two testy allies."

* Moammar Gaddafi has reportedly accepted a cease-fire plan proposed by the African Union, but Libyan rebels aren't on board.

* The right call from the 9th Circuit: "A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the most contested provisions of Arizona's immigration law will remain blocked from taking effect, handing the Obama administration a victory in its efforts to overturn the legislation."

* Dear White House officials, please start communicating with congressional members of your own party.

* If you missed it over the weekend, John Cole has a gem of a piece on Paul Ryan's House GOP budget plan.

* Security threat: "The U.S. government has prevented more than 350 people suspected of ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups from boarding U.S.-bound commercial flights since the end of 2009, The Associated Press has learned."

* On a related note, as Yemen's government falters, it's likely to become al Qaeda's "main home."

* Rush Limbaugh doesn't like the budget deal that Republicans seem to have won.

* Michael Waldman, President Clinton's former chief speechwriter, has some good advice for President Obama and his team when it comes to fighting to protect Medicare.

* When a professor is caught selling grades, it's pretty tough to spin it as offering students "incentives."

* Mariah Blake asks an important question that U.S. officials and the nuclear industry should answer: "Why is the U.S. intent on imitating one of Fukushima's scariest flaws?"

* My only problem with the "Saturday Night Live" sketch about "Fox & Friends" was that it was a little too similar to the real thing, which freaked me out. Indeed, the sketch-comic actors may have been reading actual transcripts for a script.

* On a related note, Walgreens has officially explained that it does not offer pap smears or breast exams. I'm sure Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade will want to air a correction.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 11, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/028897.php

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

* Japan: "Japanese authorities on Tuesday raised the severity rating of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to the highest level on an international scale, on a par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster."

* Libya: "France and Britain urged NATO on Tuesday to intensify airstrikes against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's forces and called on the alliance to do more to shield noncombatants from loyalist attacks."

* More good news from Ivory Coast: "Five generals pledged their loyalty to President Alassane Ouattara on Tuesday following the capture of the country's strongman leader after a four-month standoff, as French and Ivorian forces worked to eliminate the last pockets of resistance."

* Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is considering a filibuster of the budget agreement reached last week, to be voted on Thursday. It probably has more than 60 votes anyway, but the procedural delays could cause real trouble in the chamber.

* Melody Barnes explains "why young Americans should care" about Equal Pay Day.

* Eugene Robinson: "The far-right ideologues in the House seek to starve the federal government to the point where it can no longer fulfill its constitutional duty to promote the general welfare. I don't mean to sound apocalyptic, but that's what this struggle comes down to."

* In Wisconsin's state Supreme Court election, conservative Justice David Prosser planned to force a recount when it looked like he'd lost. Now that he's ahead, he wants challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg not to bother with a recount.

* During his tenure at the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld wrote memos that were so hilarious, I'm tempted to think they're parodies. Alas, they're real.

* If the concept of online education is going to appear more legitimate, it'll need more credible proponents than Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

* And two weeks ago, The Lynchburg News & Advance, a newspaper in Southern Virginia, reported that the late Jerry Falwell's Liberty University took in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars through federal financial aid. Last week, Liberty University removed The Lynchburg News & Advance from campus.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 12, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028920.php

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

* Libya: "NATO, Arab and African ministers met with Libya's rebels here on Wednesday in a show of support for insurgents who are seeking to overthrow Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi against a backdrop of division over the pace of coalition air attacks on pro-Qaddafi forces."

* In related news: "NATO said it had destroyed 12 government tanks around the besieged Libyan city of Misurata on Wednesday, after criticism from within its own ranks that it was not doing enough to stop the Libyan government from shelling and shooting indiscriminately at civilians in the rebel-held portion of the city."

* House Speaker John Boehner called Paul Ryan's budget plan "an option worth considering" today, which isn't exactly a hearty endorsement. The comment drew so much attention, the Speaker's office felt compelled to later add that Boehner "fully supports" the radical proposal.

* I guess JPMorgan Chase's prediction that Wall Street reform would crush industry profits was wrong: "JPMorgan Chase kicked off bank earnings season on Wednesday, reporting that first quarter profit surged 67 percent even as problems in its mortgage lending business continued to mount."

* Despite the amusing prank press release, and the fact that the Associated Press fell for it, GE will not be sending $3.2 billion back into the U.S. Treasury.

* The worthwhile initiative is called "Joining Forces": "Starting Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, plan to visit four states in two days to raise public awareness of the needs of families of military service members."

* The budget deal, set to be approved tomorrow, eliminates four "czar" positions. Republicans probably shouldn't get too excited -- the offices in question are already empty.

* Will there be any major Tea Party rallies on April 15 (Tax Day) this year? Apparently not.

* What could that teacher have been thinking? "A fourth grade teacher in Norfolk, Virginia is in trouble for getting a bit too real in a lesson on the Civil War, in which she held a mock auction of black students while letting the white students bid on them."

* As it should be: more Pell Grants means more students.

* Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), arguably the chamber's worst member, illegally landed his plane, on purpose, on a closed runway late last year, endangering construction workers doing repairs. In fact, he touched down and then "sky hopped" over six vehicles and personnel working on the runway, before landing for good. The airport manager said he'd "never seen such a reckless disregard for human life in my life." Inhofe accepted a "program of remedial training" in December as a substitute for legal action.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 13, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028941.php

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

* Libya: "At a two-day summit of NATO nations that opened [in Berlin] Thursday, U.S. officials played down emerging rifts among allies and said they planned to use the meeting to work toward bridging those differences."

* A discouraging reversal: "More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in three weeks. Still, the broader trend points to a slowly healing jobs market. The government says applications for unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 412,000 for the week ended April 9. That left applications at their highest point since mid-February."

* That pesky 1099 provision in the Affordable Care Act is no more; President Obama signed its repeal this afternoon.

* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) today conceded that some of the key elements of his union-busting crusade wouldn't actually save the state any money, but he nevertheless sells the labor crackdown as being fiscally necessary.

* Walker also admitted that he has no mandate to purse the anti-union agenda, since he never actually told voters this is what he intended to do.

* The Wall Street Journal's ridiculous editorial page accused President Obama of relying on "blistering partisanship" yesterday. I wonder what the WSJ would have said if Obama had echoed Reagan's budget speech from 1983.

* On a related note, Politico is criticizing the president for doing what Politico recommended. Typical.

* There's just no getting around this: "The Republican Budget Hits Poor, Elderly, and Children Hardest."

* I'm not familiar with the notion of "fat possums," but there are apparently some that made their way into the budget deal.

* Apparently, the biggest political story of the day is a vote Obama cast as a senator five years ago. Sigh.

* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants to see science and technology education improved. It's just not sure who should do it.

* I'd sure like to know if there's a public health risk posed by cellphones.

* Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) will be stuck with the "not intended as a factual statement" mess for quite a while. Hell, it's arguably going to be his only legacy after a long congressional career.

* And in the Texas state legislature, Republican lawmaker Leo Berman is pushing a measure to guard against the non-existent threat of Islamic Sharia law. After arguing that there are some parts of the U.S. where judgers are "using" sharia, Berman was asked to support the bogus claim. "I heard it on a radio station," he said.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 14, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028957.php

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

* Libya: "Military forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who have surrounded [Misurata] and vowed to crush its anti-Qaddafi rebellion, have been firing into residential neighborhoods with heavy weapons, including cluster bombs that have been banned by much of the world and ground-to-ground rockets, according to the accounts of witnesses and survivors and physical evidence on the ground."

* Afghanistan: "A suicide bomber in a police uniform assassinated the provincial police chief in Kandahar on Friday afternoon, the latest in a series of high-profile killings of government officials in the southern city, according to Afghan officials."

* A couple of tidbits of good economic news: "The Federal Reserve reported that U.S. factories increased production for the ninth straight month. Separately, the Labor Department said consumer prices rose just 0.1 percent last month excluding food and gas prices. That's lower than the 0.2 percent increase economists were expecting."

* Apparently, when President Obama is speaking privately to supporters, and he doesn't think anyone else is listening, he says pretty much the same things he says in public.

* This Taxpayer Receipt idea is actually pretty good.

* On a related note, a lot of Americans don't want to hear this, but by industrialized international standards, taxes in the United States are quite low.

* Late yesterday, the latest in a series of Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood failed.

* Fox News inexplicably ran a story that seemed to link an Obama speech at George Washington University with a student suicide the same day. The Republican network pulled the story today after a request from the university.

* An especially good column from Paul Krugman, and not just because it included a quote from John Cole.

* Gen. Stanley McChrystal will serve on a White House commission on military families. Pat Tillman's mother is urging his removal from the panel.

* GOP policy on the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay: "For Republicans, Gitmo is now the fictional Chateau d'If: Everyone there is guilty, and no one held at Gitmo should ever be allowed to leave."

* True: "You don't win the future by cutting back on your physical infrastructure out of fear of taxing pollution. Just saying."

* And after Republicans dragged Walgreens into their culture war, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is now using LensCrafters' name. The company apparently doesn't appreciate it, and noted that the right-wing lawmaker is "using our name without our knowledge or permission."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 15, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028972.php

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

* This was not well received: "Washington's deficit reduction debate came to Wall Street on Monday, after the Standard & Poor's rating firm lowered the outlook for the United States to negative, saying there was a risk that lawmakers might not reach agreement on how to address the country's fiscal issues."

* Japan: "A pair of thin robots on treads sent to explore buildings inside Japan's crippled nuclear reactor came back Monday with disheartening news: Radiation levels are far too high for repair crews to go inside."

* Some of those eager to engage Libya weren't quite ready: "Less than a month into the Libyan conflict, NATO is running short of precision bombs, highlighting the limitations of Britain, France and other European countries in sustaining even a relatively small military action over an extended period of time."

* Rajiv Chandrasekaran sees some progress in Afghanistan: "For the first time since the war began nearly a decade ago, the Taliban is commencing a summer fighting season with less control and influence of territory in the south than it had the previous year." He calls this "a profound shift across a swath of Afghanistan that has been the focus of the American-led military campaign."

* I think this is a good move: "President Obama will hit the road this week and forcibly deliver his message that a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes on the rich is necessary to rein in the nation's rocketing debt — a high-stakes effort to rally public support ahead of a series of contentious budget battles in Congress."

* Syria: "The State Department has secretly financed Syrian political opposition groups and related projects, including a satellite TV channel that beams anti-government programming into the country, according to previously undisclosed diplomatic cables."

* Hydrofracking: "Oil and gas companies injected hundreds of millions of gallons of hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals into wells in more than 13 states from 2005 to 2009, according to an investigation by Congressional Democrats."

* Uwe Reinhardt explains the differences between federal lawmakers' health care and what House Republicans have in mind for Medicare recipients.

* President Obama said of the KSM trial, "I remain convinced we could have handled this in New York. We could have handled it in a normal court." He's right, but that apparently doesn't matter.

* Republicans want to "reform" Social Security, a system they consider a scam. Ironically, the real scam is their proposal.

* This year's Pulitzers were announced today. I was especially pleased to see David Leonhardt among the deserving winners.

* Daniel Luzer: "Changes to rules about Pell Grants are likely to have a dramatically adverse effect on companies that operate for-profit colleges."

* I'm starting to get the sense Roger Ailes is kind of creepy.

* I'd find it easier to tolerate the inanity of "Fox & Friends" if the hosts weren't so damn lazy.

* And Happy Blogoversary to Atrios, who started Eschaton nine years ago yesterday. When I started blogging a year later, Duncan was one of the people who inspired me to give this a try.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM Monday, April 18, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/029006.php

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

* Moving well beyond a no-fly zone in Libya: "Britain announced Tuesday it will dispatch experienced military advisers to aid Libyan rebels in organizing their forces, inching toward deeper Western involvement in the two-month-old rebellion against Moammar Gaddafi."

* Syria: "Syria tried to placate protesters with declarations of sweeping reform on Tuesday while also issuing harsh threats of reprisals if demonstrations do not come to an end, as one of the Arab world's most repressive countries struggled to blunt the most serious challenge to the 40-year rule of the Assad family."

* Ignore the S&P: "A day after the nation was given a negative credit outlook, President Obama and the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, on Tuesday defended efforts that the administration was taking to reduce the budget deficit but warned that the process would not be easy."

* On a related note, Paul Krugman reminds folks not to take the S&P "warning" seriously: "People, this was a non-event."

* My favorite response to Standard & Poor's warning -- which is to say, the response that was most in line with my own -- came from Joe Klein: "Hey, weren't you the same guys who gave AAA ratings to the repackaged subprime mortgage-backed securities that, in truth, were utter dreck? And didn't that help cause the 2008 economic collapse? And didn't subsequent accounts reveal that you were in bed with the banks whose products you were supposed to be rating? I mean, you guys are still in business?"

* Mild-mannered economist Alan Blinder blasts the House Republican budget plan, in the Wall Street Journal, no less: "The Ryan plan has received vastly too much praise from people who should know better."

* President Obama hasn't given up on immigration reform, but there's one noticeable problem: voters elected a Republican House.

* It's heartening to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights functioning again.

* Fred Hiatt has run a lot of columns on climate-change denial. He now seems surprised that so many people are receptive to the rhetoric coming from climate-change deniers.

* Daniel Luzer: "It doesn't seem that online courses are really helping to expand learning so much as they're just replacing existing courses with a new, and arguably less effective, method of delivery."

* Terrific political cartoon, capturing the partisan debate over Medicare.

* When racists say, "I am not a racist," they're still racists.

* David Barton, the right's favorite fake historian, actually believes net neutrality is -- get this -- in conflict with the Bible. The deeply strange far-right activist also called net neutrality "wicked" and "socialism on the Internet." It remains unclear if he knows what net neutrality is.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 19, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/029024.php

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

* Libya: "Italy and France said Wednesday they would join Britain in sending military advisers to aid beleaguered rebel fighters in Libya, marking another step toward deeper European involvement in the Libyan uprising as NATO struggles to break the stalemate there without directly joining the fight on the ground. The Obama administration has notified Congress that it will send $25 million worth of 'non-lethal' military equipment directly to the Libyan opposition, including vehicles, fuel trucks, ambulances and medical equipment, body armor, binoculars and radios."

* Hetherington: "Tim Hetherington, the conflict photographer who was a director and producer of the film 'Restrepo,' was killed in the besieged city of Misurata on Wednesday, and three photographers working beside him were wounded. The wounds to two of the photographers -- Chris Hondros and Guy Martin -- were severe, according to Andre Liohn, a colleague at the triage center where they were being treated Wednesday night."

* Housing: "Existing home sales rose slightly in March after plunging in February, but the housing market still shows no real momentum even though interest rates and home prices remain relatively low."

* That's not good: "A White House plane carrying Michelle Obama came dangerously close to a 200-ton military cargo jet and had to abort its landing at Andrews Air Force Base on Monday as the result of an air traffic controller's mistake, according to federal officials familiar with the incident."

* At a town-hall meeting in his own district, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was booed defending tax breaks for the wealthy.

* Dahlia Lithwick offers a fascinating look at the legal state of Roe v Wade in the context of the larger abortion-rights debate.

* Shuttle launch: "President Obama and his family will attend the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour on April 29, and perhaps join Representative Gabrielle Giffords if she is able to watch as her husband, the astronaut Mark E. Kelly, leads the mission into space, administration officials confirmed on Wednesday."

* Monday's freak-out notwithstanding, Blue Dog Rep. Jim Cooper (D) of Tennessee noted that many of his congressional colleagues "had never heard of Standard & Poor's before" this week.

* Congratulations to this year's recipients of Hillman Foundation awards, including Jessica Valenti and the amazing team at Feministing.com, and Slate's Tim Noah for his exceptional series on income inequality.

* It should easier, not harder, for military veterans to take advantage of the education benefits they've earned and were promised.

* And yesterday, MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan hosted right-wing activist Andrew Breitbart for a bizarre conversation that ended up generating quite a bit of attention. It might be a while before Ratigan's reputation recovers from this one.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 20, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/029044.php

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

* Libya: "President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed Predator drone aircraft in Libya to improve the precision of low-level attacks on ground targets, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday."

* More from Libya: "Rebels fighting to oust the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, took control of a border crossing into Tunisia on Thursday in the first significant crack in his control of the country's western region since his security forces tamped down riots across the country two months ago."

* Japan: "Japan sealed off a wide area around a radiation-spewing nuclear power plant on Friday to prevent tens of thousands of residents from sneaking back to the homes they quickly evacuated, some with little more than a credit card and the clothes on their backs."

* I hope he's right, but we've heard this before: "Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan may reach a turning point in the war by the end of this year.... If the Taliban can be prevented from retaking those areas when the fighting picks up this summer, and if the areas under Afghan government control are further expanded at the same time, then by the end of 2011, in Gates' words, 'We will have turned a corner.'"

* It's better, but still too high: "First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell in the latest week but remained above 400,000 for the second straight week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The number of initial claims in the week ending April 16 fell 13,000 to 403,000."

* Bradley Manning has been transferred from the Quantico brig in Virginia to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The latter is a medium-security facility. Blue Girl has more on this.

* Did you know we've been on orange alert continuously for about six years? "The federal government is adopting a simple, two-tiered alert system to warn the public of terrorist threats and possible attacks."

* Paul Ryan's budget plan included an interesting tidbit: it calls for the debt ceiling to be raised, repeatedly.

* Labor loses another fight, this time in Oklahoma.

* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) needs a surprising amount of coaching to keep up on current events in his own state.

* Sean Hannity wants examples of Fox News "dividing Americans along religious lines" and "scapegoating the Muslim community." Well, Sean, if you insist.

* Apparently, Glenn Beck and Mike Huckabee are feuding.

* It is interesting to have, for the first time, a president "with a personal relationship to federal student loans and other financial aid."

* And The Onion's brilliance shines again: "Though Mitt Romney is considered to be a frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the national spotlight has forced him to repeatedly confront a major skeleton in his political closet: that as governor of Massachusetts he once tried to help poor, uninsured sick people."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 21, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/029062.php

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

* Syria: "Security forces in Syria met thousands of demonstrators with fusillades of live ammunition after noon prayers on Friday, killing at least 73 people in the bloodiest day of the five-week-old Syrian uprising, according to protesters, witnesses and accounts on social networking sites."

* McCain in Libya: "U.S. Sen. John McCain, one of the strongest proponents in Congress of the American military intervention in Libya, said Friday that Libyan rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi's troops are his heroes. The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee made the remark after arriving in Benghazi, a city that has been the opposition capital in the rebel-held eastern Libya."

* A federal judge in New Jersey threw out a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act this afternoon. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds -- the plaintiffs did not have standing -- not on the merits. (thanks to K.M. for the tip)

* Jared Bernstein, arguably the leading liberal economist at the White House is leaving the administration and joining the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. For those of us hoping for as many progressive voices as possible making their case at the White House, this isn't good news.

* There is no debt crisis, and we're not really drowning in a sea of red ink.

* Republicans beat back labor rights once again, this time in New Hampshire, where GOP lawmakers, by a veto-proof majority, passed a measure "that would prohibit unions from collecting mandatory fees and disallow collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join a labor union."

* Conservatives occasionally like to argue that people will leave states with higher taxes on the wealthy, and move to lower-tax alternatives. That's not really true.

* I imagine Donald Trump, looking ahead, hopes all of his interviews are conducted by Meghan McCain, or at least those asking her style of "interview" questions. (When an interviewer asks the interviewee to hire them, it's a bad sign.)

* Apparently, Wonkette ran a bizarre item the other day related to a conspiracy theory involving Sarah Palin and one of her children. It's sparked some renewed interest in the "controversy," such as it is, but let's be clear: there's nothing to Trig Trutherism and no serious person should consider the rumors credible.

* I feel better already: "Reeling from months of scandal over debt burdens, recruiting practices, and course quality, America's for-profit college will soon have a 'code of conduct.'"

* Happy Earth Day. We have a long ways to go.

* Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly believe George Soros and Paul Krugman want to deliberately destroy the American economy. Why? So they can "build up a socialistic system." Those Fox News personalities really aren't very bright.

* And finally, remember when Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) lied about Planned Parenthood and his office later said his remarks were "not intended to be a factual statement"? Kyl has now used his power as a senator to "revise" the official transcript and strike his falsehoods from the congressional record. We'll still remember, but officially, it will be as if the comments were never made.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 22, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/029079.php

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

* Libya: "NATO warplanes struck Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's compound here early Monday and bombed a state television facility in an escalation of the air campaign to aid the rebellion against his four decades in power. The attack on the compound was the third since air raids began in mid-March, but the strike at the television facility was the most significant broadening yet of the NATO air campaign."

* The Syrian crackdown intensifies: "The Syrian Army stormed the restive city of Dara'a with tanks and soldiers and helped detain dozens in towns across the country Monday in an escalation of a widening crackdown on Syria's five-week-old uprising, according to human rights activists, residents and accounts posted on social networking sites. They said at least 25 people were killed in Dara'a, with reports of bodies strewn in the streets."

* On a related note, the Obama administration is considering sanctions against the Assad government.

* Afghanistan: "Taliban militants dug a lengthy tunnel underground and into the main jail in Kandahar city and whisked out more than 450 prisoners, most of whom were Taliban fighters, officials and insurgents said Monday."

* Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) wanted the U.S. Supreme Court to rule immediately on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The justices turned him down.

* Wikileaks: "A trove of more than 700 classified military documents provides new and detailed accounts of the men who have done time at the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba, and offers new insight into the evidence against the 172 men still locked up there."

* Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh will give up power in exchange for immunity from prosecution for him and his family.

* Taking good news where I can find it: "More people bought new homes in March, giving the battered industry a small lift after the worst winter for sales in almost a half-century."

* I'd take deficit hawks more seriously if there was an agreed-upon definition of what a deficit hawk is.

* Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-Ariz.) condition, remarkably enough, continues to improve, with an increased ability to speak and walk.

* Rachel Maddow is featured in eight new "Lean Forward" MSNBC promos, and I'm embarrassed to admit how much I like them.

* Daniel Luzer: "In 2009 President Obama announced that the United States should have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020. We've got a long way to go."

* And I was curious to see whether Atlas Shrugged: Part I would be a successful film, given Tea Party support. After two weeks in theaters, it appears to the movie is an embarrassing flop.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 25, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/029115.php

"Taliban militants dug a lengthy tunnel underground and into the main jail in Kandahar city and whisked out more than 450 prisoners, most of whom were Taliban fighters, officials and insurgents said Monday."

They've been doing this shit for centuries. - No surprises here...

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

* The AP believes Gadhafi's power may be slipping in Libya.

* NATO, meanwhile, is "stepping up attacks on palaces, headquarters, communications centers and other prominent institutions supporting the Libyan government."

* As Syria deploys "tanks and troops against unarmed demonstrators," Europe is threatening the Assad government with sanctions. The U.S. State Department is urging Americans in Syria "to depart immediately while commercial transportation is readily available" and advised those who must remain to limit travel within the country.

* Private-sector earnings reports have pushed Wall Street to three-year highs. How this is possible in the midst of a socialist agenda, I don't know.

* I share his frustrations: "Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Tuesday slammed the debate over raising the debt ceiling as 'ridiculous' and said it is 'irresponsible' for policymakers to leave the impression that the U.S. might not pay its bills."

* Doug Holtz-Eakin, a former McCain/Palin advisor and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, said today Congress "has to raise the debt limit... We have to be good stewards of the nation's credit rating [and] doing it sooner is better than later."

* State-sponsored prayers haven't brought rain to Texas and "major wildfires continue to rage on across the state."

* Conservatives in the Prop 8 case have resorted to arguing, in legal filings, that a gay judge shouldn't be allowed to rule in cases related to gay rights.

* On a related note, gay-rights groups aren't embarrassed at all about having pressured King & Spalding to drop their case defending the Defense of Marriage Act for House Republicans.

* New right-wing idea in Louisiana: simply ban abortion rights, Supreme Court be damned.

* The new "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" will debut on Current TV on June 20.

* Imagine that: "Greek austerity is failing even to do much to reduce the deficit, because the economy is shrinking. The usually discreet Calculated Risk sums it up: 'More austerity coming -- the beatings will continue until morale improves!'"

* Michael Kazin: "The Trouble With Independents: What if these voters are just a clueless horde?"

* With McCain's trip to Libya in mind, let's note the tradition of "high-profile U.S. political visits that often seem more about keeping the visitor in the news than changing conditions on the ground."

* And Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) believes the nation's liberal women are "neutering American men" and "bringing us to the point of this incredible weakness." I don't think he was kidding.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 26, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_04/029146.php

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

* New national security team: "President Obama will nominate CIA Director Leon Panetta this week as secretary of defense, replacing Robert M. Gates as part of a series of national security shifts that will also place Afghanistan war commander Gen. David H. Petraeus in the top CIA job, U.S. officials said." Also, Ryan Crocker is headed to Kabul as Ambassador and Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen will replace Petraeus.

* Afghanistan: "A veteran Afghan military pilot said to be distressed over his personal finances opened fire at Kabul airport after an argument Wednesday, killing eight U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor."

* Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke didn't say much, but he does see the recovery continuing through 2013 -- it just won't be an especially good recovery.

* An unexpected partnership: "Fatah and Hamas, the rival Palestinian movements, announced an agreement in principle on Wednesday to end a years-long internal Palestinian schism."

* It's important for people to realize that self-proclaimed health care expert Elizabeth McCaughey seems to be poison for the discourse.

* Fox News' Shep Smith, reflecting on the birther nonsense, tells the media to "just freaking stop it." Here's hoping his own network takes the advice to heart.

* I'm at a loss to explain how the same Obama administration officials who deemed the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, and refused to defend it in court, are also somehow "screwing over a key Democratic constituency" by defending a lawyer's choice to work on the case from the other side.

* In light of deep education cuts from their new Republican governor, Pennsylvania parents wonder how they'll be able to sell 2.4 billion bake-sale cookies to make up the difference.

* It never occurred to me that college students might be less likely to drop out if they had fewer choices about what to do while there.

* Libertarians looking forward to the next two installments in the Atlas Shrugged films are likely to be disappointed. With the movie failing miserably with critics and audiences, the producer/distributor/financier no longer intends to invest in his failure.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 27, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/029165.php

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

* The death toll in the Southeast grows following yesterday's devastating storms: "Firefighters searched one splintered pile after another for survivors Thursday, combing the remains of houses and neighborhoods pulverized by the nation's deadliest tornado outbreak in almost four decades. At least 280 people were killed across six states -- more than two-thirds of them in Alabama, where large cities bore the half-mile-wide scars the twisters left behind."

* President Obama will be in Alabama tomorrow, meeting with locals and helping make sure the emergency response is on track.

* Terror in Morocco: "A massive terrorist bombing tore through a tourist cafe in the bustling heart of Marrakech's old quarter Thursday, killing at least 11 foreigners and three Moroccans in the country's deadliest attack in eight years."

* Libya: "Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the U.N. Security Council today that there is another good reason to confront Libyan forces. Moammar Qaddafi has reportedly been passing out tablets of Viagra to his front line troops to help them rape women."

* As if the GDP report wasn't discouraging enough: "More people sought unemployment benefits last week, the second rise in three weeks, a sign of the slow and uneven jobs recovery. Applications for unemployment benefits jumped 25,000 to a seasonally adjusted 429,000 for the week ending April 23, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's the highest total since late January."

* Lara Logan speaks on the brutality of her assault: "Logan, a CBS News correspondent, was in Tahrir square preparing a report for '60 Minutes' on Feb. 11 when the celebratory mood suddenly turned threatening. She was ripped away from her producer and bodyguard by a group of men who tore at her clothes and groped and beat her body. 'For an extended period of time, they raped me with their hands,' Ms. Logan said in an interview with The New York Times. She estimated that the attack lasted for about 40 minutes and involved 200 to 300 men."

* Fascinating report from Zach Carter and Ryan Grim on swipe fees. It may seem like a dull topic, but the fight between retailers and financial institutions is an important story about lobbying and the disregard for consumers.

* Speaking of interesting stories, Spencer Ackerman has a rather remarkable story on his experience with a strange person billed as the "1st Lady of Missiles."

* American women, we now know, are better educated than American men. Now if only they were paid equally, we'd have some even more meaningful progress.

* And finally, CBS News' Bob Schieffer doesn't do much in the way of commentary, so it was refreshing for him to suggest that Donald Trump is part of "an ugly strain of racism." Good for Schieffer.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 28, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/029183.php

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

* In Alabama: "President Obama walked through a tornado-ravaged neighborhood in Tuscaloosa on Friday and promised 'maximum federal help' to the survivors of a series of deadly twisters that carved paths of destruction and claimed about 300 lives in six Southern states. 'I've never seen devastation like this,' Obama said as he toured the Alberta section of the city with first lady Michelle Obama and gazed at crumpled houses, uprooted trees and destroyed cars. 'It is heartbreaking.'"

* The president also told the affected communities, "We're going to make sure that you're not forgotten."

* ThinkProgress: "Dr. Kevin Trenberth, one of the world's top climate scientists, who has been exploring for years how greenhouse pollution influences extreme weather, said he believes that it is 'irresponsible not to mention climate change' in the context of these extreme tornadoes."

* Today's Space Shuttle launch was delayed until early next week due to a technical glitch. Obama nevertheless visited with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), as both were in Florida for the launch.

* Syria: "Tens of thousands of Syrians defied a bloody government crackdown on Friday and took to the streets in towns and cities across the country, responding to calls from democracy activists to stage a 'Day of Rage' to protest the military's efforts to crush the burgeoning opposition movement."

* Libya: "The fighting in Libya spilled over into neighboring Tunisia early on Friday, as troops loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi routed rebel fighters at a critical border crossing in the southwest and pursued them into the nearby town of Dehiba, said a rebel fighter who witnessed the events."

* Good: "In a 2-1 decision Friday, the panel of the U.S. court of appeals in Washington overturned a judge's order that would have blocked taxpayer funding for stem cell research."

* Great story about eight of the surviving members of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, who visited the White House today for the first time in their lives.

* Chrysler will pay off its government debts by the end of June.

* Groupon will no longer advertise on the website for Donald Trump's reality show. Good move.

* Dana Milbank has a very sensible take on what's become of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner -- and why it's probably best to avoid it.

* I thought it was impossible for John Stossel to stoop any lower on the journalistic integrity scale. I stand corrected.

* And a quick housekeeping note: the Monthly's tech team let me know there will be some server maintenance underway over the weekend. I'll still have a normal weekend posting schedule, and you'll still be able to comment, but there's a small chance any comments left over the weekend may not permanently survive. Just FYI.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM April 29, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/029200.php

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

* POTUS: "'The world is safer,' Mr. Obama said as he appeared at a White House ceremony bestowing the Medal of Honor to two soldiers killed in the Korean War. 'It is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden.'"

* Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton made brief remarks this morning: "Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today, it may have even greater resonance: You cannot wait us out. You cannot defeat us. But you can make the choice to abandon al Qaeda and participate in a peaceful political process.... Let us remind ourselves: This is America. We rise to the challenge, we persevere, and we get the job done."

* This is a pretty great shot taken in the Situation Room yesterday.

* The woman who was killed in yesterday's raid was apparently a wife to bin Laden, whom he used as a shield to try to protect himself.

* ABC News appears to be the first major news organization to have video footage of the compound where bin Laden was killed. The footage was taken after the raid.

* Like many Republicans today, Dick Cheney suggested Bush-era torture may have produced information that ultimately led to yesterday's developments. There's ample reason to be skeptical of this claim.

* A new conspiracy-theory cottage industry is born: "the deathers."

* In Libya on Saturday night: "The government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi said he survived an airstrike in Tripoli late Saturday night that killed one of his sons and three grandchildren, in the sharpest intensification yet of the NATO air campaign intended to pressure the Libyan leader from power."

* The recovery of American auto manufacturers: "For the first time in nearly seven years, Detroit's car companies are all making money. Chrysler, the last of the three to return to profitability, said Monday it made a $116 million net profit in the first quarter on revenue of $13.1 billion. The company, which emerged from bankruptcy protection a little less than two years ago, hadn't reported a net profit since 2006."

* Presidents' favorite community college: "Miami Dade College is apparently the number one destination for Florida poor people, high school dropouts, and, well, U.S. presidents."

* On a related note, even when the economy is good, dropping out of high school is nearly always a spectacularly bad idea.

* And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was asked to reflect on House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) crediting Bush's "vigilance" for contributing to yesterday's success. "For Eric Cantor to phrase it that way, to say [President Obama] followed the vigilance of President Bush is a degree of key partisanship that exceeded what I even expected from Cantor," Frank said. "That's just sad."

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM May 2, 2011

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2011_05/029246.php

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

* Not surprisingly, some of the initial accounts from Sunday's firefight at the bin Laden compound weren't accurate: "White House officials on Tuesday sought to correct the official account of the raid in Pakistan that ended in the killing of Osama bin Laden, saying that the Qaeda leader was not armed and that his wife was not killed."

* Obama in New York tomorrow: "President Obama will travel to New York City on Thursday to mark the death of Osama bin Laden by visiting the site of the World Trade Center and meeting with families of victims from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The president is scheduled to deliver a speech, tour the site and meet privately with family members, an administration official said."

* Iraq: "A car bomb tore through a cafe packed with young men watching a football match Tuesday in Baghdad, killing at least 16 people, officials said."

* House Republicans put together a new contract for attorney Paul Clement, and will once again pay him and his legal team $500,000 in taxpayer money to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court.

* I really wish more people still cared about this: "Arctic ice is melting faster than expected and could raise the average global sea level by as much as five feet this century, an authoritative new report suggests."

* Two UCLA geographers and a class of undergraduates authored a 2009 paper predicting Osama bin Laden's whereabouts. How'd they do? "According to a probabilistic model they created, there was an 88.9% chance that bin Laden was hiding out in a city less than 300 km from his last known location in Tora Bora: a region that included Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he was killed last night."

* The Oklahoma state House of Representatives censured state Rep. Sally Kern (R) for her racism yesterday. Some of her Republican colleagues defended her, but they were in the minority.

* Congrats to Nico Pitney on his promotion, as he becomes the executive editor at the Huffington Post.

* The American Enterprise Institute tries to weigh in on for-profit colleges. The results aren't good.

* And easily the strangest thing I've seen all day is a collection of tweets from people who have no idea who Osama bin Laden is. The terrorist, it turns out, wasn't living in a cave, but maybe these folks have been.

Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.

—Steve Benen 5:30 PM May 3, 2011

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_05/029268.php