September 12, 2011 4:00 PM
Monday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

I'm afraid I have a family commitment this afternoon, and have to take off a little early. Here's today's edition of quick hits, 90 minutes early:

* Europe: “The brewing economic crisis in Europe appeared to be sharply escalating Monday amid fears that near-bankrupt Greece may not be able to avoid a default with its creditors, threatening major European banks sitting on massive stockpiles of troubled country debt.â€

* Turkey: “The Obama administration is considering a request from Turkey to base a fleet of Predator drones on Turkish soil for counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq, a decision that could strengthen a diplomatic alliance but drag the United States deeper into a regional conflict.â€

[quote="Sidartha"]* Turkey: “The Obama administration is considering a request from Turkey to base a fleet of Predator drones on Turkish soil for counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq, a decision that could strengthen a diplomatic alliance but drag the United States deeper into a regional conflict.â€

That was then - this is now. The Turks have been wanting to get their hands on the Kurds for a long time now.

So have the Iranians and Iraqis.

Yeah... of all the cultures out there, the last one I'd choose to be is Kurdish.

September 13, 2011 5:30 PM
Tuesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* A five-hour siege in Kabul: “In the most direct assault since the American Embassy opened here nine years ago, heavily armed insurgents wearing suicide vests put the embassy and the nearby NATO headquarters in their cross hairs, showing the Taliban's ability to enter even the most heavily fortified districts in the country.â€

September 14, 2011 5:30 PM
Wednesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “The Greek prime minister vowed to abide by austere cuts in the struggling country's budget, and the leaders of France and Germany promised to support Greece as a central part of the euro zone, the three officials said Wednesday in a statement after a joint conference call.â€

[i]* I wish GOP lawmakers wouldn't embarrass us overseas: “Representative Peter T. King testified about terrorism on Tuesday before a legislative committee, but the committee was in London, not Washington, and the New York Republican found himself the uncomfortable object of tough questioning. In a hearing on ‘Roots of Violent Radicalization,' Mr. King was asked about his own past support for the Irish Republican Army.â€

Holy crap!

September 15, 2011 5:30 PM
Thursday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Worried that Europe's debt impasse posed a growing threat to the global economy, the world's major central banks moved Thursday to assure investors that European banks would not run short of American dollars, as they nearly did at the height of the 2008 financial crisis. The banks, in a coordinated action intended to restore market confidence, agreed to pump dollars into the European banking system in the first such show of force in more than a year.â€

September 16, 2011 5:30 PM
Friday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Once again disappointing investors looking for European leaders to end their bickering over a rescue plan for the euro zone, finance ministers failed Friday to find common ground. They also found themselves at odds with the U.S. Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, who, after his highly unusual attendance at a meeting of top European officials, warned them that a lack of decisive action could leave ‘the fate of Europe' to outsiders.â€

"* And finally, Paul Krugman: “Modern conservatism is actually a deeply radical movement, one that is hostile to the kind of society we've had for the past three generations — that is, a society that, acting through the government, tries to mitigate some of the ‘common hazards of life' through such programs as Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare and Medicaid."

Someone should tell Mr. Krugman that "modern conservatism" IS a common hazard of life and needs to be mitigated.

September 19, 2011 5:30 PM
Monday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “Financial markets were focused in part on a conference call between Greek officials and the so-called troika of foreign creditors — the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank — as well as further meetings among senior officials in Athens struggling to close a gaping budget gap. But the Greek Finance Ministry tried to deflate expectations of a speedy result.â€

[i]* Ralph Nader thinks Sarah Palin is “a lot smarter than most people credit her.â€

September 20, 2011 5:30 PM
Tuesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Afghanistan: “The most prominent Afghan official trying to negotiate a reconciliation with the Taliban was assassinated Tuesday night by a suicide bomber with explosives tucked in his turban who had been brought to his home by a trusted emissary.â€

[i]* A far-right state lawmaker in Texas was asked whether Republican efforts to target family planning are part of a war on birth control, and admitted it is. “Well of course this is a war on birth control and abortions and everything, that's what family planning is supposed to be about,â€

September 21, 2011 5:30 PM
Wednesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Bauer and Fattal are now free: “Iran released on Wednesday two Americans arrested while hiking along the Iran-Iraq frontier two years ago and sentenced to eight years in prison, ending diplomatic skirmishing that has complicated the United States' already fraught relationship with Tehran. The two men, Shane M. Bauer and Joshua F. Fattal, both 29, emerged from the notorious Evin prison at dusk and were immediately taken by a diplomatic convoy to the airport.â€

September 22, 2011 5:30 PM
Thursday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Wall Street: “U.S. stocks plummeted Thursday, along the rest of the world's markets, as investors reacted to a dour outlook on the U.S. economy from the Federal Reserve and worried about the fate of European banks…. The sell-off was triggered by Wednesday's gloomy news from the Federal Reserve, which said that it sees ‘significant downside risks' to the U.S. economy.â€

[i]* Remember the “Ground Zero Mosque,â€

Welcome to the inernet.

September 23, 2011 5:30 PM
Friday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Abbas causes a stir: “Shortly after President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority formally requested the Security Council to grant full United Nations membership on Friday, international powers reached an agreement on terms to restart talks between Israel and the Palestinians, diplomats and Obama administration officials said.â€

September 26, 2011 5:30 PM
Monday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* FEMA's funds: “The federal government's disaster relief fund has enough money to continue distributing storm aid through the end of the week — longer than originally estimated, and maybe just long enough to avoid another congressional spending showdown.â€

September 27, 2011 5:30 PM
Tuesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Greece: “Greek leaders frantically tried to steer their country away from default on Tuesday by passing a deeply unpopular new property tax. Greece has said it will run out of money to pay its many bills by mid-October if it does not receive more aid before then. But the country's European creditors have questioned whether politicians were serious about meeting fiscal targets set as part of a $150 billion rescue package approved in 2010.â€

September 28, 2011 5:30 PM
Wednesday's Mini-Report
By Steve Benen

Today's edition of quick hits:

* Europe: “EU and IMF inspectors will return to Greece on Thursday to decide whether Athens has done enough to secure a new batch of aid vital to avoid bankruptcy, while Germany suggested a new bailout may have to be renegotiated.â€