MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Uncertainty in the Gulf: “A pressure test of BP’s undersea well that has kept fresh oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico will be allowed to continue for another day, despite concerns about potential new problems near the well, the government official overseeing the spill response said Monday.”
* Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen told reporters there are leaks, but they’re not a major concern yet. As for the seepage, Allen believes it may be unrelated to the wellhead.
* Iraq: “Two suicide bombings targeting members of local guard forces killed at least 48 people Sunday and heightened concern about the future of the groups as the number of U.S. troops in the country is reduced.”
* A fascinating Washington Post report: “The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.” Plenty of good analysis on this today.
* Sixteen “notable economists and historians have joined in a consensus statement” to endorse additional government stimulus. Good advice.
* Glenn Beck’s friends at Goldline may be facing some legal trouble.
* Looks like the White House signing ceremony on Wall Street reform will be on Wednesday.
* Bradford Plumer takes a look at where things stand on the energy/climate bill, and whether the bill would still be worthwhile if it lacks cap-and-trade.
* It’s hard to feel sorry for CEOs who get “everything they want, yet still they whine.”
* Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) knows exactly where to turn for a 10-minute interview that ignores all of his recent controversies. (I’ll give you a hint: it rhymes with Rox Snooze.)
* I’m delighted the United Nations ignored congressional Republicans and extended accreditation to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
* Sounds right: “If students aren’t ready for life after high school, provide them with what they need to get there. Perhaps equally important, if they’re ready for college, they can just go there.”
* Leading Tea Party activist Mark Williams has apparently been deemed a little too racist for his own right-wing “movement.”
* The FBI worked with a company called Blogetery over the weekend to shut down some servers after officials found al Qaeda materials, child pornography, bomb-making tips, and a list of Americans appearing on a “hit list.” Tea Party Nation was outraged, and suggested this might a “dry run” for the government shutting down websites “critical of the [Obama] regime.” The hysterical paranoia just never ends.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
