Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Hurricane Sandy is one very serious storm.
* Expect lingering effects: “The long-term, potentially catastrophic damage from Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the Northeast will most likely come from the unusually strong and potentially deadly storm surge that forecasters say will be much larger than past storms to hit the region.”
* So much for the cease-fire: “The declared four-day holiday truce between the warring factions in Syria ended on Monday much as it had begun — with airstrikes, artillery barrages and other firefights around the country that made a mockery of the cease-fire.”
* Hurricane forecasts have gotten pretty good. Thanks to looming budget cuts, they’re poised to get worse.
* With President Obama leaving the campaign trail, former President Clinton is picking up the slack. He seems especially animated about Mitt Romney’s lie about Jeeps and China.
* A story worth watching: “In 1997, Congress cracked down on a popular tax shelter that allowed rich people to take advantage of the exempt status of charities without actually giving away much money. Individuals who had already set up these vehicles were allowed to keep them. That included Mitt Romney, then the chief executive officer of Bain Capital, who had just established such an arrangement in June 1996.” * Another one? “On the heels of a sex scandal involving a female patient, another woman has acknowledged having a sexual relationship with physician and U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais while she was under his medical care” (thanks to reader J.T. for the tip). * And anytime Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) starts a sentence, “This isn’t the politically correct thing to say but…” it’s a safe bet, he’s going to say something offensive. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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