TUESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The talk was more than just rhetoric: “Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that federal authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations into the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.”
* More fallout from yesterday’s violence: “The U.N. Security Council early Tuesday condemned ‘those acts which resulted in’ the deaths of at least nine civilians aboard an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip, and called for a ‘prompt, impartial, credible and transparent’ investigation into why and how the Israeli military acted to stop the ships from reaching their destination.”
* While additional efforts to challenge the Gaza Strip blockade are underway, the blockade has been loosened, at least for now.
* Fred Kaplan: “How Israel botched what should have been a straightforward military operation.”
* The Obama administration is under intense pressure from several members of Congress to take Israel’s side in the dispute. They’re not all Republicans.
* For its part, the administration is urging U.S. allies to show restraint in their condemnations, pending additional information on exactly what transpired.
* BP needs some public relations help, so it’s hired Dick Cheney’s former campaign press secretary. He has a credible public reputation, right?
* More evidence of stimulus success: “The economic recovery gained strength on the biggest rise in construction spending in nearly a decade and the 10th straight month of expansion for the manufacturing sector.”
* Adam Serwer takes a closer look at today’s Supreme Court ruling on Miranda rights.
* Conditions in Haiti are stable enough to allow most of the U.S. forces on the ground to head home today.
* Get to know Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Calif.). He’s quite a piece of work.
* Tim Noah explains why we always seem to be killing al Qaeda’s #3.
* Number of segments CNN ran about Richard Blumenthal’s (D) exaggerated military service record: 11. Number of segments CNN ran about Mark Kirk’s (R) even more exaggerated military service record: zero. Remember, the right still believes the media’s liberal.
* Student loans are starting to seem like a structural problem. Isn’t it time for a structural solution?
* And if you weren’t around over the weekend, I hope you’ll take a moment to consider this item from Saturday, about the new rules the political world is applying to President Obama, which weren’t applied to his predecessors. I think it’s important, and I’m trying to get the word out
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
