MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* New plan: “British energy giant BP unveiled a plan on Monday it hopes will vastly increase the amount of oil it is capturing from its blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico as President Barack Obama arrived there to assert leadership in clean-up efforts.”
* BP: “For the sake of saving time and drilling costs on its ill-fated exploration well, BP took ‘shortcuts’ that led to the oil spill disaster that will end up costing the oil giant billions of dollars in cleanup and compensation costs, according to a letter from two House Democrats who have been leading an investigation of the spill.”
* President Obama spent the day along the Gulf Coast, during his fourth trip to the region since the April 20 explosion. The White House also learned today that all the major networks will carry his Oval Office address tomorrow.
* International assistance: “In late May, the administration accepted Mexico’s offer of two skimmers and 13,779 feet of boom; a Dutch offer of three sets of Koseq sweeping arms, which attach to the sides of ships and gather oil; and eight skimming systems offered by Norway.”
* There’s apparently not much point in calling BP’s toll-free call centers.
* The session didn’t last long, but Iraq’s new parliament met today for the first time.
* The Supreme Court announced that it won’t hear the appeal of Maher Arar’s case. Adam Serwer explores the significance.
* Marc Ambinder has some compelling pushback over the reports of lucrative mineral deposits in Afghanistan.
* Israel creates a government-appointed commission to investigate the raid on the Gaza flotilla.
* An apparent deal with the NRA may help advance a new campaign finance bill on the Hill.
* TARP money continues to be repaid.
* Ella: “A French drug company is seeking to offer American women something their European counterparts already have: a pill that works long after ‘the morning after.’ … But the new drug is a close chemical relative of the abortion pill RU-486, raising the possibility that it could also induce abortion by making the womb inhospitable for an embryo.”
* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) still hates the idea of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” but he also still seems badly confused over the policy details.
* Fact checking the Sunday shows.
* Speaking of the Sunday shows, why aren’t more women invited on as guests?
* The Senate prepares hearings on American for-profit schools and their policies.
* Who wrote Glenn Beck’s new novel? It’s hard to say for sure, but the only thing we know for sure is that Beck didn’t. The deranged media personality conceded there was “no way” he was going to sit down and actually write the book.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
