Today’s edition of quick hits:
* The Obama administration made its first formal acknowledgement today of “its use of drone strikes against terrorism suspects, lifting but not removing the shroud of secrecy that surrounds the nation’s expanding use of targeted killing operations overseas.”
* A win for women’s health, Part I: “A federal judge on Monday blocked a Texas rule that would have excluded Planned Parenthood from participating in the state’s women’s health program…. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled Monday there was sufficient evidence the state rule barring Planned Parenthood is unconstitutional.”
* A win for women’s health, Part II: “The Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously tossed out a proposed ‘personhood’ amendment Monday, yet another setback for the controversial movement that has divided abortion-rights opponents.”
* Human rights in China were an important topic of discussion at the White House today.
* A military strike on Iran? American officials and outside analysts now believe “that the chances of war in the near future have significantly decreased.”
* Flexible principles: “Tea Party favorites … were swept into Congress on a wave of anger over government-funded bailouts of banks. Now those incumbents are collecting thousands of dollars for re-election campaigns from the same Wall Street firms whose excesses they criticized. They have taken no significant steps to curb them or prevent future taxpayer-financed rescues.” * Adding muscle to fraud probes: “An Obama administration task force probing misconduct that fueled the financial crisis is increasing its ranks, adding five financial analysts and 10 new federal prosecutors spread across the country, according to a senior Justice Department official.” * A victim of faux outrage: “Al Armendariz, the Environmental Protection Agency official at the center of a budding scandal surrounding a 2010 video in which he said the EPA should “crucify” polluters, has resigned.” Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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