FRIDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* More details emerge in the Fort Hood massacre.
* Sgt. Kimberly Munley, who took down Nidal Malik Hasan, is being hailed as a hero.
* The gunman in Orlando was apprehended this afternoon.
* Afghanistan: “More than 25 international and Afghan troops were wounded Friday in western Afghanistan — possibly by friendly fire — during a search operation for two U.S. Army paratroopers who had gone missing, according to the military.”
* The White House issued an SAP (statement of administration policy) in support of the House health care reform bill.
* Despite earlier assurances, the House will not vote on a single-payer amendment as part of the health care reform debate. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who championed the measure, said today, “I didn’t want the legacy of single-payer to be that it jeopardized passage of healthcare reform this year.”
* To help make passage more likely this year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today that senators should expect to work Saturdays in December.
* Several House Republicans blew off important votes on national security policy to tell some right-wing activists yesterday how much they hate health care reform. Priorities, people.
* On a related note, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) had so much fun yesterday, he wants another right-wing rally in opposition to health care reform tomorrow.
* You may not be aware of this, but 4 gajillion people attended the right-wing rally yesterday. The media wants you to think it was only 3 gajillion, but that’s not true at all.
* Media Matters has a good-but-scary video with some of the highlights from yesterday. It makes one thing perfectly clear: a lot of those folks are stark raving mad.
* Interesting fight at UC Berkeley over subsidizing of college sports.
* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) refuses to let the Senate vote on a major veterans’ benefits bill. So much for supporting the troops.
* Speaking of Republican obstructionism, the White House made some concessions and convinced Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to let the Senate vote on a pair of key State Department nominees.
* Also, Coburn’s effort to remove political science funding from the National Science Foundation’s budget failed. Good.
* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) mildly criticized Rush Limbaugh’s Nazi rhetoric today. Start the countdown for the apology.
* And if you saw President Obama talk about the tragedy at Fort Wood yesterday, and it made you long for George W. Bush’s presidency, there’s something horribly wrong.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
