THURSDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The President signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law today, the first measure to get his signature.
* The president ripped Wall Street for $18 billion in bonuses last year in the midst of a market collapse. Obama called it “the height of irresponsibility” and “shameful.”
* Multiple corporations announced thousands of additional layoffs today. The news comes as more Americans receive unemployment benefits than at any time since the government started keeping track in 1967.
* It was a rough day on Wall Street, with the major indexes falling about 3% each.
* Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) made his case to state senators today, asking them not to remove him from office.
* Blackwater will no longer be welcome in Iraq.
* The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced yesterday that union membership “rose last year by the largest amount in a quarter-century, a gain of 428,000 members.”
* John Yoo continues to embarrass himself.
* The suicide rate among U.S. troops keeps getting worse.
* Dennis Blair was confirmed last night by unanimous consent as the new Director of National Intelligence.
* O’Reilly and Dennis Miller think torture is hilarious. No wonder Miller has been kicked out of so many jobs.
* The truth about food stamps matters.
* And the president goes out on a limb and picks a favorite for the Super Bowl.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.