Today’s edition of quick hits:
* G-20: “World leaders attending the G-20 summit sent a strong message to Europe on Friday that it must do more to manage its spiraling debt and financial problems but offered no explicit help, saying the region’s fate was in its own hands.”
* And on a related note: “The euro zone won verbal support but no new money at a G20 summit on Friday for its tortured efforts to overcome a sovereign debt crisis, while Italy was effectively placed under IMF supervision. Leaders of the world’s major economies, meeting on the French Riviera, told Europe to sort out its own problems and deferred until next year any move to provide more crisis-fighting resources to the International Monetary Fund.”
* Speaking of Europe and its many problems: “Acceding to pressure from European leaders, Italy ‘invited’ the International Monetary Fund to look over its shoulder to ensure that Rome is carrying out reforms devised to keep the country from succumbing to Europe’s widening sovereign debt crisis, European Union officials said Friday.”
* More developments in Herman Cain’s alleged sexual-harassment controversy.
* Republicans in Michigan gutted an anti-bullying bill by adding language that says bullying based on “moral convictions” is fine. (The religious right hates anti-bullying bills because they might interfere with evangelicals picking on gays — a practice conservatives are eager to protect.)
* Murdoch media scandal isn’t quite finished: “A journalist at the tabloid The Sun was arrested Friday on suspicion of making illegal payments to police officers, a sign that the scandal has spread beyond The News of the World to other papers in Rupert Murdoch’s British media empire.”
* The Chamber may lose a big one: “Google is considering ditching the U.S. Chamber of Commerce out of frustration with its support for legislation that would force Internet companies to police websites that peddle pirated movies and fake Viagra.”
* A few voices on the right would have us believe economic inequality isn’t really rising. Paul Krugman sets the record straight.
* On a related note, I don’t know Krugman personally, but given his cultural references, I suspect he and I would get along swimmingly.
* Mitt Romney got caught telling a huge lie on tax policy this week. The media doesn’t seem to care.
* Oh, for crying out loud: “Rather than issue retraction, O’Reilly doubles down on debunked $16 muffin story.”
* Daniel Luzer on community colleges: “Apparently increasing numbers of America’s middle class students are choosing community colleges over four-year schools in an effort of save some money, and eventually transfer to the (more expensive) colleges they really want to attend. How this is working out is a little unclear.”
* Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) has refused to pay child support to his ex-wife. Naturally, then, the right-wing Family Research Council is honoring Walsh for his “unwavering support of the family.”
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
