THURSDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Pakistan: “Teams of militants dressed in police uniforms simultaneously attacked three law enforcement agencies in Lahore on Thursday morning, the fifth major attack by militants in Pakistan in the last 10 days…. More than 30 people were killed, including 19 police officers and at least 11 militants, police officials said.”
* The foreclosure crisis continues: “The number of homeowners pulled into the foreclosure process increased by 5 percent during the third quarter as a government program to help borrowers stay in their homes struggled to gain traction, according to RealtyTrac data released Thursday.”
* A runoff if Afghanistan’s presidential election appears likely.
* Good: “Handing President Barack Obama a partial victory in his effort to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, House Democrats on Thursday repelled a Republican effort to block transfer of any of the detainees to the U.S. Instead, by a 224-193 vote, the House stood by a Democratic plan to allow suspected enemy combatants held at the controversial facility in Cuba to be shipped to U.S. soil — but only to be prosecuted for their suspected crimes.”
* Money well spent: “President Barack Obama signed legislation Thursday providing an additional $7.5 billion in assistance to the Pakistani government.”
* The president was in New Orleans today, recommitting his administration to rebuilding the Gulf Coast. “I promise you this,” Obama said during his first visit to the city as president. “Together we will rebuild this region and we will build it stronger than before.”
* Seems encouraging: “A key House committee on Thursday passed legislation reining in the multitrillion-dollar market for financial derivatives. The House Financial Services Committee passed the bill on a 43-26 vote, with only one Republican, Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.), siding with all Democrats.”
* Senate Republican opposition to extending unemployment benefits is a real problem.
* Even Greenspan seems to get it: “U.S. regulators should consider breaking up large financial institutions considered ‘too big to fail,’ former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said.”
* Progress towards a nuclear deal with Iran?
* For now, the Senate Republican caucus is not prepared to punish Olympia Snowe for having voted for health care reform in the Finance Committee.
* The right’s sexist attacks against Sens. Snowe and Collins begin.
* Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized overnight after an apparent adverse reaction to medication.
* CNN scuttles an anti-Dobbs ad.
* The right-wing writer the Republican National Committee hired to write content for its new website has an interesting background.
* How did yesterday’s hearing on for-profit colleges go? It could have been worse.
* I’d love to see this gain some traction: “A group of 10 Democratic senators today reintroduced legislation designed to end the sentencing disparity between powder and crack cocaine — a long-standing push that never quite seems to get enacted.”
* In the 21st century, it’s not okay for interracial couples to be denied marriage licenses.
* And finally, Sean Hannity still isn’t happy that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His alternative? “[F]rankly,” he said, “I would’ve given it to George Bush.” Of course he would have.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
