TUESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Devastating: “Militants opened fire on security guards and rushed a small truck packed with explosives through the gates of a five-star hotel in this northwestern city on Friday, detonating a huge bomb in the parking lot that killed at least 11 people and wounded 55, Pakistani officials said. Witnesses said the blast left a crater six feet deep and 15 feet wide and was powerful enough to be heard for miles. Police officials estimated that more than 1,000 pounds of explosives were used.”
* WaPo: “Ten of the nation’s largest banks will be allowed to repay $68 billion in federal aid granted at the height of the financial crisis, the Treasury Department announced this morning. The banks, which could begin to return money this week, include J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Capital One Financial, according to statements from the companies.”
* More interrogation secrecy: “The Obama administration objected yesterday to the release of certain Bush-era documents that detail the videotaped interrogations of CIA detainees at secret prisons, arguing to a federal judge that doing so would endanger national security and benefit al-Qaeda’s recruitment efforts.”
* On a related note, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham are prepared to shut down the entire government over Bush-era torture photos.
* The Sotomayor hearings will begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 13. Senate Republicans, as usual, aren’t happy.
* Sotomayor received some unexpected support today from Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), who defended her “wise Latina” remarks.
* If the U.S. Supreme Court delays the deal between Fiat and Chrysler, the arrangement may fall apart.
* I’m starting to get the impression that Jon Voight isn’t very bright.
* Which is the majority party in the state Senate in New York? Your guess is as good as mine.
* GM gets a new CEO.
* Waxman-Markey would raise billions in revenue, not raise the deficit.
* Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) won’t filibuster a public option, but Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) won’t support a public option.
* Brendan Nyhan has a great timeline on Obama loyalty smears.
* George W. Bush, secret Muslim.
* George Will thinks the president uses the word “I” too much. Will doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
* And finally, it’s nice to see far-right “quackery” get this kind of attention.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
