Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Puerto Rico and much of the Caribbean is preparing for Isaac, which is not yet a hurricane, but may soon become one. Not surprisingly, officials in Florida are keeping a close eye on the storm, too.
* Wildfires: “California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in three Northern California counties on Wednesday after a wildfire that has already destroyed 64 homes advanced with 75-foot flames on a tiny community at the doorstep of a national park.”
* Green on Blue: “The senior commander in Afghanistan made new allowances on Thursday that Taliban influence could play a large role in attacks by Afghan security forces on Americans, saying that up to one-quarter of the killings could be caused by Taliban infiltration or coercion.”
* Iran: “Efforts led by the United States and Israel to isolate Iran suffered a setback on Wednesday when the United Nations announced that Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general, would join officials from 120 countries in Tehran next week for a summit meeting that Iran has trumpeted as a vindication of its defiance and enduring importance in world affairs.”
* Gawker today published 950 pages of “internal audits, financial statements, and private investor letters” from entities owned by Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital.
* Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) believes, “At any point in the past four years, President Obama could have called Republicans John Boehner, now House speaker, and Rep. Ryan, now House Budget Committee chairman, over to the White House and cut a budget deal.” That’s not even close to being accurate. * Jonathan Cohn puts together “the last Paul Ryan Medicare piece you’ll ever have to read.” * And yesterday, New Hampshire sheriff hopeful Frank Szabo said, if he takes office, he’d be willing to use deadly force to stop legal abortions from occurring, a vow that would presumably include violence towards medical professionals. Today, Szabo walked that back. Good move. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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