MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* As if Haiti weren’t struggling enough, it’s now dealing with a cholera epidemic, which has killed more than 250 people so far.
* A step in the right direction on real estate, but dangers loom: “Sales of previously occupied homes are bouncing back from their anemic levels last summer, but the gains may not be sustainable if the abrupt halt in foreclosures in some states drags out and pulls down future sales.”
* Try to contain your shock: “Afghan President Hamid Karzai admitted at a press conference Monday that his office accepts ‘bags of money’ from the Iranian government.”
* The White House tries circumventing Beijing: “In a shift from its assiduous one-on-one courtship of Beijing, the administration is trying to line up coalitions — among China’s next-door neighbors and far-flung trading partners — to present Chinese leaders with a unified front on thorny issues like the currency and its territorial claims in the South China Sea.”
* If you missed it over the weekend, a WikiLeaks document dump advanced questions about the stability of Iraq.
* President Obama clearly hasn’t forgotten about immigration reform, but Republican gains in the midterms will make progress extremely unlikely for the foreseeable future.
* O’Reilly sure does love his ambushes.
* If the right wants to talk about wasteful public spending, can we have a conversation about the conservative-controlled U.S. Commission on Civil Rights spending over $173,000 — of our money — “investigating an incident involving voter intimidation by members of the New Black Panther Party — a case in which no voters have alleged they were intimidated”?
* I’ve never heard of a state that’s worried about having too many colleges.
* Remember the felony charges pending against disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas)? His trial is finally getting underway.
* And finally, eight years ago today, Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) died in a tragic plane crash. His thoughtful leadership is still greatly missed.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
