MONDAY’S MINI-REPORT…. Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Iran: “Hundreds of riot police officers deployed in key locations in central Tehran and other major Iranian cities on Monday, beating protesters and firing tear gas to thwart opposition marches that marked the most significant street protests since the end of 2009, news reports and witnesses’ accounts from Iran said.”
* Egypt: “Egypt’s military leaders have told a coalition of young opposition leaders that they plan to convene a panel of distinguished jurists to submit a package of constitutional amendments within 10 days for approval in a national referendum within two months, setting a breakneck schedule for the transition to civilian rule.”
* Egypt’s generals yesterday imposed martial law and dissolved parliament. These were not unexpected developments.
* It’s genuinely amusing to see Egypt’s state media quickly shift gears from pro-government propaganda to celebrating Mubarak’s ouster.
* New waves of unrest in Yemen and Bahrain.
* Iraq: “A suicide bomber blew himself up Saturday near a crowd of Shiite pilgrims at a bus depot in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra, killing 38 people and wounding scores of others, police and officials said.”
* Afghanistan: “Taliban fighters deploying car bombs and rocket-propelled grenades killed at least 17 members of the Afghan security forces and two civilians in the southern city of Kandahar on Saturday, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement.”
* Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) union-busting efforts are not going unchallenged.
* OMB Director Jack Lew suggested to reporters today that there’s some kind of agreement in place with congressional Republicans not to shut down the government. I haven’t heard this elsewhere, and I find this rather hard to believe.
* Remember the sophisticated and potentially deadly bomb found last month in Spokane? Those responsible for the attempted domestic terrorism remain at large.
* My best wishes to Andrew Sullivan as he returns from a lengthy absence due to illness. Now, Andrew, if you wouldn’t mind correcting the doc-fix error you made today….
* Ave Maria University, the struggling — and extremely conservative — Catholic university in Naples, Florida, is under new management. Its new president will be Jim Towey, who’s best known for running the Bush administration’s legally-dubious faith-based schemes.
* South Carolina State Sen. Lee Bright (R), who apparently has too much time on his hands, wants the Palmetto State to create its own currency. Seriously.
* Former U.S. Agriculture Department official Shirley Sherrod has filed suit against right-wing activist Andrew Breitbart. For his part, Breitbart is changing his story as to why he published the deceptive video that ruined Sherrod’s career in the first place.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
