WEDNESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* BP Oil Spill: “Authorities battling the massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast planned to ignite part of the slick on Wednesday, the second such burn since oil started spewing into the water two weeks ago. The effort to remove oil from the surface comes as oil giant BP said it had stopped one of three leaks at the deep-water well.”
* Greece: “Rioting over harsh austerity measures left three people dead in a torched Athens bank and clouds of tear gas drifting past parliament, in an outburst of anger that underlined the long and difficult struggle Greece faces to stick with painful cutbacks that come with an international bailout.”
* Overdue security measure: “The U.S. government on Wednesday began requiring airlines to check no-fly lists much more quickly as a way to screen out terrorist suspects, officials said, after revelations that the man suspected of trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square was able to board an international flight even though his name was listed.”
* FinReg progress? “Top senators on the banking panel released the details of a bipartisan deal on how to unwind big financial firms that are considered too big to fail.”
* Good: “[I]t turns out that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) is not supporting Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman’s new proposal to strip the citizenship of those who are involved with terror groups.”
* There were some reports this week that the FCC was moving in the wrong direction on net neutrality. Now there are reports that the FCC’s direction has greatly improved.
* Another staff shake-up at the RNC?
* House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) really has no idea what he’s talking about.
* Appeals Court Judge Diane Wood became the fourth jurist to meet with President Obama about the vacancy on the Supreme Court. We’ll likely hear an announcement within eight days.
* 51 senators: no more secret holds.
* Now we know: “Finally, the truth can be told. The United States has officially announced that it has 5,113 nuclear weapons in its arsenal, plus ‘several thousand’ more waiting to be dismantled.”
* To protest Arizona’s immigration law, the Phoenix Suns of the NBA become “Los Suns.”
* Obama administration eyes new rules on how for-profit colleges operate.
* Dahlia Lithwick weighs in on Ken Cuccinelli’s dangerous suit against climate change.
* After nearly a half-century of ownership, the Washington Post is selling Newsweek.
* Hugh Hewitt may not fully appreciate what a “cliche” is.
* Interesting: “Three of the top five choices in the Southern Republican Leadership Conference’s recent straw poll on favorite 2012 presidential candidates had more than one thing in common: They’re all on the Fox News Channel payroll.”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
