MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Yemeni authorities believe they killed some of those responsible for the threats against the U.S. Embassy, shooting two al Qaeda militants and wounding two others today.
* New Year’s Day in Pakistan: “At least 75 civilians were killed and dozens were wounded Friday when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at an outdoor volleyball game in northwestern Pakistan, police said. The attack apparently was aimed at members of an anti-Taliban “peace committee” that has been challenging the influence of insurgents, officials and town elders said.”
* Las Vegas shooting: “A gunman in a black trench coat opened fire Monday morning in the lobby of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas, killing a court security officer and wounding a deputy United States marshal before fleeing. He was then shot in the head and killed nearby.”
* Special scrutiny: “Citizens of 14 nations, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, who are flying to the United States will be subjected indefinitely to the intense screening at airports worldwide that was imposed after the Christmas Day bombing plot, Obama administration officials announced Sunday.”
* More good economic news today, with an unexpectedly strong report on manufacturing activity.
* A leader of the Tea Party “movement” seems to have a racism problem (as well as a spelling problem).
* Anthrax scare in five Alabama federal offices this morning, with multiple threatening letters containing a white powder. An FBI official said none of the letters have tested positive for anthrax.
* Institutional resistance: “President Obama’s ambitious plan to begin phasing out nuclear weapons has run up against powerful resistance from officials in the Pentagon and other U.S. agencies, posing a threat to one of his most important foreign policy initiatives.”
* Medical experts believe the Obama administration’s response to the H1N1 pandemic “worked out better than many had dared hope.”
* The Secret Service is investigating an effigy of President Obama that was found hanging off a building in Plains, Ga., over the weekend.
* I don’t think I’ve read anyone, anywhere, who’s quite as optimistic about the U.S. economy as Daniel Gross. If growth and job creation meet his expectations, he’s going to look very smart. If not, not so much.
* Dear scientists, please speak up.
* Given Republican standards, I guess it’s only fair to add H.W. Bush to the list of weak-on-terror presidents.
* I really do hate term limits.
* Newark Mayor Cory Booker redefines “constituent services.”
* Student loans keep getting more difficult to obtain.
* Borrowing a page from Jeff Foxworthy, you might be a member of the secular-socialist left if….
* And after a spate of truly ridiculous items from a certain conservative blogger, be sure to “analyze Glenn Reynolds’ body language.” After all, “it would be irresponsible not to.”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
