Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Big case: “The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether Arizona may impose tough anti-immigration measures. Among them, in a law enacted last year, is a requirement that the police there question people they stop about their immigration status.”
* Europe: “A European summit deal to strengthen budget discipline in the euro zone failed to restore financial market confidence on Monday, forcing the European Central Bank to step in again gingerly.”
* More Europe: “Moody’s Investors Service noted Monday that it is reviewing the ratings of debt in European Union countries for a possible downgrade. S.&P. is expected to announce the results of its own review as soon as this week. Cuts in credit ratings, particularly for the so-called core euro zone countries, could play havoc with bailout plans.”
* There probably won’t be a government shutdown: “Put this in the ‘small accomplishments’ category for an especially gridlocked Congress: It appears increasingly likely that, with little fuss, lawmakers will approve a bipartisan compromise in coming days that will keep government running past Friday, when a short-term funding measure that has kept the lights on expires.”
* Iraq: “President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki outlined a broad agenda for post-war cooperation Monday as they marked the impending end of America’s nearly decade long conflict in the Middle East.”
* Russia: “Tens of thousands took to the streets in cities across Russia on Saturday to protest alleged vote-rigging in what observers said were the largest antigovernment demonstrations in at least a decade.”
* Durban: “In the wee hours of Sunday morning, climate negotiators pulled out an agreement on climate change after two days of last-ditch efforts. The decision puts world leaders on a path to a negotiating a legal agreement beginning in 2015 and managed to avoid a total disaster, but still leaves a number of questions open.”
* The Obama White House has created a new Office of Manufacturing Policy. Sounds good to me.
* Sorry to see her go: “Michele Flournoy, the most senior female Pentagon official in history, told The Associated Press on Monday she is stepping down as the chief policy adviser to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.”
* Why did Joe Arpaio fail so miserably when confronted with more than 400 sex-crimes cases?
* Emily Crockett has a good rundown of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) pending in Congress.
* Colin Woodard: To understand the debate over the death penalty — and most everything else — consult the real map of American regional cultures.
* First Lady Michelle Obama ends up with a world record on jumping jacks.
* If Mitt Romney had it to do over again, he probably wouldn’t have sat down at Bob Garon’s table this morning in Manchester, N.H.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
