TUESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* AP: “Eleven Taliban suicide bombers attacked government buildings in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, sparking running gunbattles that killed at least 20 people and wounded three U.S. troops, officials said. U.S. and Afghan troops freed 20 hostages taken by the insurgents.”
* Get ready for a new round of entitlement hysteria: “The financial underpinnings of the Medicare and Social Security programs have eroded substantially as a result of the nation’s recession, according to a government forecast issued today.”
* Good to see a growing number of mainstream Muslim religious leaders forming an alliance to “openly oppose the Taliban” in Pakistan.
* A bill to protect consumers from abusive credit card industry practices looks likely to pass the Senate.
* The was apparently an AP story making the rounds today about the White House faulting the EPA’s findings on carbon emissions. The article was wrong.
* The budget deficit is projected to be reach $1.84 trillion this year, slightly higher than the February forecast.
* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is finally prepared to let the Senate vote on the president’s FEMA nominee.
* It took a few tries, but prosecutors finally gained convictions against five members of the “Liberty City Six.”
* 49 governors will accept stimulus funding for energy efficiency programs. Sarah Palin won’t.
* Lt. Dan Choi sure would appreciate it if the Obama administration didn’t fire him.
* Blue Dogs are bothered because they’re not helping write the health care bill.
* The administration is poised to get tougher on enforcement of anti-trust laws. Good.
* Harold Ford’s endorsement of torture won’t help improve the credibility of the DLC.
* Nice to see Double X, a new online women’s magazine, make its debut.
* The New York Times reported today that smaller banks have found it much easier to weather the recession. If you read the Washington Monthly, you learned all about this several months ago.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
