Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Greece erupted yesterday, with protestors burning dozens of buildings in Athens, but the Greek Parliament nevertheless approved another round of austerity measures in order to receive a European bailout.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Violence rages on in Syria, where government forces have “resumed their bombardment of the embattled city of Homs for a 10th day after the authorities in Damascus rejected efforts by the Arab League to seek a United Nations peacekeeping mission for Syria and to deepen the ostracism of President Bashar al-Assad within the Arab world.”
* Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was robbed by a man wielding a machete during a Caribbean vacation late last week. A Supreme Court spokesperson said no one was hurt in the incident.
* Progress on marriage equality wasn’t limited to the state of Washington today — the New Jersey state Senate approved a bill, 24 to 16. The same body rejected a similar plan by a similar vote just two years ago.
* The results should be interesting: “Apple said Monday that it had asked an outside organization to conduct special audits of working conditions inside Chinese factories where iPhones, iPads and other Apple products are manufactured.”
* Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, explained today how his agency is already having a positive impact on the mortgage industry.
* Culture of corruption watch: “Four years after Countrywide Financial became a symbol of the mortgage meltdown, the company and its questionable dealings have become a potent political issue in the Santa Clarita congressional district held by Republican Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon.”
* The influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council cannot be overstated. * More good news out of Chicago, where Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has been moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation center. * The news is less heartening for Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.), who is now being treated for colon cancer. * Paul Krugman ponders what happened to the right: “How did American conservatism end up so detached from, indeed at odds with, facts and rationality? … My short answer is that the long-running con game of economic conservatives and the wealthy supporters they serve finally went bad…. Over time, however, this strategy created a base that really believed in all the hokum — and now the party elite has lost control.” Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
The place for in-depth analysis, commentary and informed perspectives. Recommended
