THURSDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* If all goes according to plan, I’ll be on MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show” this evening.
* The Dow fell by another 440 points today, closing at around 8,700.
* “In the latest sign of the ailing job market, the number of people continuing to draw unemployment benefits jumped” in late October to the highest level in 25 years.
* CentCom Commander Gen. David Petraeus has reduced troop levels in Iraq by one brigade.
* Rahm Emanuel’s role as the next White House chief of staff was officially announced this afternoon.
* David Axelrod is joining the White House staff, too.
* The positioning to replace Obama in the Senate is on.
* Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) will not face federal criminal charges.
* Why do you suppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chief Julie Myers is resigning in mid-November, instead of January?
* Robert Rubin will not be the next Treasury secretary.
* What do you know, the Randy Scheunemann story can get more embarrassing.
* Obama is lending Jim Martin a hand in Georgia’s runoff Senate campaign.
* Ezra explains why Max Baucus may be “the most consequential legislator in America.”
* Have you seen the map showing the counties that became more Democratic this year?
* A Republican lawyer is en route to Alaska to pick up some of Sarah Palin’s expensive clothes.
* And finally, Chris Matthews’ journalistic reputation took another hit this morning.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
