MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The major indexes on Wall Street were expected to soar in light of the new Geithner plan on toxic assets. And soar they did.
* On a related note, it probably helped that there was an unexpected boost in existing home sales.
* Bloodshed in Baghdad: “At least 25 people were killed and 45 were injured when a man walked into a tent of mourners and detonated himself in a town north of Baghdad on Monday evening. The death toll was expected to rise, hospital officials said.”
* An encouraging move: “A federal court today ordered the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider the agency’s controversial decision limiting non-prescription access to the morning-after pill Plan B to women age 18 and older.”
* Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) is on a quixotic crusade against U.S. Ambassador-designate to Iraq Christopher Hill.
* From a tactical perspective, the U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan has been quite a success.
* Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) has successfully battled breast cancer over the past year, in a remarkable fight that included seven major surgeries, a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery,” while balancing motherhood, Congress and her roles as a chief fundraiser for House Democrats and a political surrogate, first for Hillary Clinton and then for Barack Obama.”
* Introducing, “Financial Media Matters.”
* Chris Matthews got the new contract he wanted from MSNBC.
* It’s great to see the State Department embracing new media.
* JP Morgan should probably not talk about new corporate jets for quite a while.
* There are a lot of things Fox News needs to change, but hiring intelligent chyron writers would be a big first step.
* John Kerry tackles an interesting asylum case.
* Howard Dean is already making CNBC better. (He’s not picking sides, though, between Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer.)
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
