FRIDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The G20 is about as efficient as Congress: “A year after the panic that brought the world’s financial system to the brink of collapse, the Group of 20 nations will now assume the role of a permanent council on global economic cooperation. But there is still no global regulatory framework to prevent another major market meltdown.”
* On a related note, get used the G20 becoming the new standard global forum. President Obama prefers it to the G8, which will focus more on national security than economic issues.
* Georgia struggles with a “once in 500 years flood.”
* More evidence for Inhofe and the deniers to ignore: “Climate researchers now predict the planet will warm by 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century even if the world’s leaders fulfill their most ambitious climate pledges, a much faster and broader scale of change than forecast just two years ago.”
* Remember the public-option fireworks planned for today? They’ve been delayed until Tuesday.
* The vaccine for H1N1 will be available in less than two weeks. “There will be enough vaccine for every American,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters at the White House.
* After being hospitalized briefly, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is ready to get back to work.
* Zachary Roth has been doing a great job keeping up on the circumstances surrounding the death of Bill Sparkman, the census worker found dead in Kentucky. The local coroner has confirmed that the word “Fed” was, in fact, written on Sparkman’s chest.
* The U.S. Chamber of Commerce loses another member over its right-wing approach to climate change. This time, it’s New Mexico’s largest utility, PNM.
* Water, water everywhere. Yesterday, Earth’s Moon. Today, Mars.
* Mark Kleiman recommends calling the public option Medicare Part E. Sounds good to me.
* The chimera of student opposition to SAFRA.
* There were some important flaws in Michael Gerson’s column today.
* A.L. takes on the ACORN “stings.”
* Yesterday, there was a conference call between Vice President Biden and governors of U.S. states and territories. The only no-show? Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Given his love of the stimulus, it’s odd that he was the only one who didn’t make time.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
