MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Tony Hayward is out as BP’s chief executive: “On Monday, BP’s board is expected to announce that Hayward, 53, will step down on Oct. 1. The departure, say people close to the company, will be his decision as much as the board’s. Hayward, a geologist who has spent his entire career working for BP, is said to recognize that he has become a liability as the company tries to move forward.”
* The materials on the war in Afghanistan published through Wikileaks are important, but they’re probably not the Pentagon Papers.
* Despite an assumption that Senate Republicans will refuse to allow the chamber to vote on the legislation, the DISCLOSE Act will likely come to the floor for consideration this week, probably tomorrow. President Obama is pushing the GOP to let the Senate vote.
* Housing surprise: “New-home buying surged in June after a May plunge caused by the end of a government tax credit, according to a better-than-expected report on the ailing housing sector.”
* If you’re looking for the Senate Dems’ scaled-back energy bill, its release has been pushed until tomorrow.
* On a related note, thanks to unexpected support from Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kas.), there’s hope for a renewable energy standard in the bill.
* Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) thinks the war in Iraq is over. That guy is so deeply confused, it’s painful to think reporters still consider him an expert on military matters.
* Are the ethics charges against Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) serious? Yes, they are.
* This year’s deficit: $1.47 trillion. That’s actually a little lower than previously estimated.
* It’s sometimes fun to laugh at Rep. Steve King’s (R-Iowa) extremism, but some of his positions aren’t funny: “[King] last week voted against a bill making it easier for Native American tribal courts to prosecute non-natives who commit rape and other crimes on tribal lands.” (thanks to B.D. for the tip) [Update: Here’s some additional background information on the legislation.]
* I have low expectations, but I’m glad Senate reform continues to percolate.
* Thought-provoking piece from Van Jones on culture and technology in the wake of the Shirley Sherrod story. (thanks to T.D. for the reminder)
* Not all for-profit colleges are the same.
* If context is irrelevant, and misleading editing is acceptable, Breitbart appears to love al Qaeda.
* On a related note, many in the media would have us believe “both sides” do what Breitbart does. That’s not even close to being true.
* Greg Sargent on the right’s bizarre fascination with Journolist: “The real story here is that right wing media are engaged in a coordinated, conspiratorial effort to pretend that J-List represented a Vast Left-wing Media Conspiracy, when the evidence conclusively shows otherwise.”
* And on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act, Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin (D) will preside over the House of Representatives this afternoon. Langevin, who is a quadriplegic, will be the first person in a wheelchair to wield the gavel.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
