MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The AP reports that the Pakistani government today agreed “to implement Islamic law across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in a concession aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency.” The announcement follows “talks with a pro-Taliban group from the Swat Valley, a one-time tourist haven in the northwest where extremists have gained sway through brutal tactics including beheadings and burning girls schools.”
* President Obama has decided against the “car czar” idea, and will instead have Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers oversee the “Presidential Task Force on Autos.”
* Obama is thinking long and hard about Afghanistan before ordering more U.S. troops into the country.
* It appears that military consultations between the United States and China will resume in a couple of weeks in Beijing.
* Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D), who promised to “fumigate” state government after the Blagojevich impeachment process, has fired for the remaining staffers from the former governor’s team.
* Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez successfully led an effort to eliminate term limits from the country’s constitution. It suggests Chavez will be able to hold office for the indefinite future, after his second term ends in 2013.
* It’s hard to overstate how messed up the budget process is in California.
* Blackwater’s solution for its public relations problems? Changing its name to “Xe.” Seriously.
* I’m afraid some journalists are confused about why Juan Williams’ criticism of Michelle Obama sparked a controversy.
* Last week, Fox News used official Republican talking points for an on-air script. The network later apologized — not for the incident, but for a typo. Yesterday, Howard Kurtz did a good job calling the Republican network out.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
