MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The scope of the Pakistani disaster is staggering: “The number of people suffering from the massive floods in Pakistan exceeds 13 million — more than the combined total of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the United Nations said Monday. The death toll in each of those three disasters was much higher than the 1,500 people killed so far in the floods that first hit Pakistan two weeks ago. But the U.N. estimates that 13.8 million people have been affected — over 2 million more than the other disasters combined.”
* Following through on a cost-saving commitment: “Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Monday that he would close a major military command, restrict the use of outside contractors and reduce the number of generals and admirals across the armed forces to trim back on unaffordable defense spending.”
* Another deadly tragedy in Afghanistan: “Gunmen killed 10 members of a medical team, including six Americans, traveling in the rugged mountains of northern Afghanistan, demonstrating the reach of insurgents far from their traditional havens and shocking the expatriate community here.”
* In Iraq, too: “Weekend bombings and shootings in Iraq left at least 69 people dead from the north to the south, intensifying fears of a possible surge of violence coinciding with the drawdown of U.S troops.”
* House Republicans hope to do no post-election work whatsoever. Are these guys really that lazy?
* Leading Republicans continue to flirt with raising the Social Security retirement age.
* I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by Robert Rubin’s position on additional stimulus, but here’s hoping Democratic officials ignore him.
* Deportations are up, but the Obama administration is sparing one group of immigrants who entered the country illegally: “students who came to the United States without papers when they were children.”
* Interesting advice for law students: “When first tier law school graduates are having trouble finding jobs, the ones down the rung are just f**ked.”
* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), who has had some serious health issues in recent years, was hospitalized over the weekend.
* House Minority Leader John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) golf habits draw more scrutiny.
* When conservative activists in the U.S. team up with Dutch MP Geert Wilders, there’s a problem.
* R.I.P., Tony Judt.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
