TUESDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Deadly attack in Iraq: “A suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings attacked Iraqi police recruits on Tuesday in Saddam Hussein’s hometown, killing up to 60 and wounding over 100, officials said.”
* More fractured government in Tunisia: “Five or more ministers from opposition parties resigned from Tunisia’s unity government on Tuesday, bowing to a wave of street protests against the cabinet’s domination by members of the ousted president’s ruling party and putting mounting pressure on his prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, to resign as well.”
* In Haiti, former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier was charged today with corruption, theft, misappropriation of funds, and assorted other felonies. Why he was allowed to step foot on Haitian soil last week still isn’t clear.
* That’s a pretty big quake: “A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked a remote area of southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, shaking many parts of the country and causing widespread panic, said meteorologists.”
* The Supreme Court announced today it will not hear a challenge to D.C.’s marriage equality law. The move allows the law to remain in place.
* President Obama moved forward today on a new review of existing federal regulations, intended to identify “excessive, inconsistent, and redundant” measures that might interfere with the economy.
* FCC: “The proposed combination of Comcast and NBC Universal was approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department on Tuesday, smoothing the way for the deal to close by the end of January.”
* R.I.P, Sargent Shriver.
* Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in D.C. today for an official U.S. state visit.
* House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), still fuzzy on the consequences of his own policies, is inclined to play games with the federal debt limit.
* In a bit of a surprise, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) supports reinstatement of the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
* I get the sense the Washington Post‘s Jennifer Rubin is on a bit of a losing streak.
* Have I mentioned lately that economic growth makes a big difference in reducing the deficit? It does.
* It’s one thing to say higher ed needs a new funding model; it’s something else to actually come up with one.
* And finally, the “Sarah Palin Battle Hymn,” set to the tune of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” is among the scariest things I’ve seen in a long while.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
