Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Another deadly shooting in Wisconsin, this time in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, where a gunman killed three women inside a day spa before turning the gun on himself.
* This report caused a stir over the weekend, but both Washington and Tehran are denying its accuracy: “The United States and Iran have agreed in principle for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program … setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran.”
* Thwarted terror plot: “Jordan has foiled a plot by an al-Qaida-linked cell to bomb its shopping centers and assassinate Western diplomats, state television said on Sunday, thwarting an attempt to destabilize the key U.S. ally.”
* Arizona has a new law prohibiting Planned Parenthood’s health clinics from receiving public funds, but as of Friday afternoon, a federal judge has put enforcement of that law on hold.
* The current payroll tax cut is set to expire, along with so many other policies, at the end of the year. Rep. Chris van Hollen (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, would like to see an extension. Keep an eye on this; it’s just starting to simmer as an issue.
* Hey look, there’s a new daily tracking poll. How many are there now? If my count is right, there are seven — and Gallup’s the only one that shows Mitt Romney with a big lead.
* When President Obama calls on the wealthy to pay their “fair share” of taxes, Michael Bloomberg doesn’t like it. But when Michael Bloomberg calls on the wealthy to pay their “fair share” of taxes, that’s apparently fine. * Jane Mayer takes a look at a voter-suppression leader that most of the public has never heard of: Hans von Spakovsky. * And in light of George McGovern’s demise over the weekend, take a look at this recent segment from msnbc’s Steve Kornacki, which was a well-deserved tribute to a legendary senator. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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