WEDNESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Diplomats from the E.U. are considering “whether to withdraw the ambassadors of all 27 member nations [from Iran] in a dispute over the [Iranian] detention of the British Embassy’s local personnel.”*
* Honduras grows isolated: “France, Spain, Italy, Chile and Colombia joined other nations Wednesday in recalling their ambassadors. The Pentagon suspended joint U.S.-Honduran military operations and the World Bank said it was freezing loans. Honduras’ three neighbors have suspended cross-border trade.”
* California, as expected, is in a state of “fiscal emergency.”
* President Obama hosted a town hall meeting in Virginia this afternoon on health care. Reading over his introductory remarks, I noticed he once again voiced unambiguous support for a public option, saying he “strongly” supports the provision, which he described as “important.”
* Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) was hospitalized yesterday in Los Angeles. It’s not clear what prompted the medical emergency, but his spokesperson said the congressman is “feeling much better now.”
* I feel like I’ve seen this report before: “The Justice Department has once again delayed the release of the CIA’s internal investigation of its controversial interrogation and detention program. The government had intended to complete its review of the 2004 Inspector General report two weeks ago. But continued interagency debate about how much of the secret report could be made public pushed back the deadline.”
* The number of officials in South Carolina, including several high-profile Republicans, calling for Gov. Mark Sanford’s (R) resignation continues to go up.
* For his part, Sanford had vowed to release personal financial records to help prove he did not use state money for trips to see his mistress. Today, he changed his mind, and said he would not release the records.
* The NYT reported that that “an estimated three-quarters of people who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were injured.”
* Reiterating his previous position, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) remains opposed to a public option. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, is still “hard at work” drafting a public option that “competes on a level playing field with private insurance companies.”
* If Howard Dean’s co-authors — Igor Volsky And Faiz Shakir — are any indication, “Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Health Care Reform” should be a great book.
* Quote of the Day, from Thomas Friedman: “There is much in the House cap-and-trade energy bill that just passed that I absolutely hate. It is too weak in key areas and way too complicated in others. A simple, straightforward carbon tax would have made much more sense than this Rube Goldberg contraption. It is pathetic that we couldn’t do better. It is appalling that so much had to be given away to polluters. It stinks. It’s a mess. I detest it. Now let’s get it passed in the Senate and make it law.”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
* corrected
