Today’s edition of quick hits:
* French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist candidate Francois Hollande are headed for a May 6 runoff in the nation’s closely-watched presidential election.
* In the wake of the Secret Service prostitution controversy, the White House counsel’s office conducted an internal investigation of White House advance staff personnel who arrived in Colombia before the president. Apparently, none of these staffers engaged in misconduct.
* Syria’s military have launched attacks in cities like Hama soon after United Nations observers leave the areas.
* Conditions deteriorate in central Africa: “Sudanese warplanes bombed a South Sudanese town Monday morning, ignoring international calls to stop attacks and ratcheting up the threat of a full-blown war between the two nations.”
* Arizona’s anti-immigrant law will draw scrutiny from the Supreme Court this week.
* On a related note, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has created a task force to review the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law, but his choices for the group point to a predetermined outcome.
* A new Defense Clandestine Service: “The Pentagon is planning to ramp up its spying operations against high-priority targets such as Iran under an intelligence reorganization approved last week by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta.”
* White House is now on record supporting the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) and Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA), both of which are intended to “address bullying and discrimination faced by students across the nation.” * Despite some reports to the contrary, the White House’s financial fraud task force does, in fact, have a staff. * And Rep. Allen West’s (R-Fla.) McCarthyism hasn’t endeared him to the NAACP. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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