Today’s edition of quick hits:
* I find it hard to even fathom 200,000 civilians fleeing a city simultaneously, but in Aleppo, Syria, it’s necessary.
* Subtly pushing back against some of the rhetoric heard in Israel over the weekend, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta argued in Tunisia today that pressure on Iran is working and needs to continue before military options are considered.
* Several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), introduced legislation today to sharply curtail online ammunition sales.
* Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) was supposed to testify under oath after part of the corruption scandal swirling around him. He did not attend the planned court appearance.
* Dick Cheney said he supported marriage equality in 2000, but didn’t say anything to the public, even when his ticket exploited anti-gay animus to win a second term.
* The ruling is being appealed: “A federal court in Arizona has upheld the state’s ban on abortions after 20 weeks, allowing it to come into effect on August 1.”
* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has wrapped up a two-year investigation of for-profit colleges. His findings are not positive.
* Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the chamber’s longest-serving active senator, celebrates institutional traditions, but sees the need to curb filibuster abuses.
* Remember that “study” purporting to show same-sex parents are bad for kids? It’s been exposed as ridiculous. * House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) intends to keep working while he undergoes treatment for early-stage blood cancer, while Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) continues his own recovery. * My memory of the fight to pass health care reform is wildly different from Drew Westen’s memory. In fact, as much as I agree with Westen’s preferred goals, I continue to believe his observations are at odds with every relevant detail and fact. * And as if he doesn’t have enough problems, Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) has apparently stolen a bill written by a Democratic colleague, Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.). Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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