Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Services continue for victims of Friday’s massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
* Heartbreaking: “A Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher who died cradling a special-needs student in her arms was laid to rest Thursday, with one of the nation’s top religious leaders speaking about how the world was “awed” by her sacrifice.”
* Syria: “Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria have resumed firing Scud ballistic missiles against rebel positions in recent days, American officials said on Thursday.”
* Benghazi: “State Department officials promised on Thursday to carry out quickly the recommendations of a review board to beef up security for the foreign service and urged Congress to provide more money to protect American diplomats.”
* Getting right to work: “Vice President Biden held the first meeting of the White House’s gun-violence working group on Thursday, convening law enforcement officials and Cabinet secretaries for a meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.”
* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), not surprisingly, said senators would return to work on Dec. 27.
* This will get ugly: “Republicans in the Senate, seeking to substantially trim a Hurricane Sandy aid package being sought by Democrats, are planning to unveil a $23.8 billion emergency spending plan to finance the recovery efforts of states devastated by the storm.” * Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) will become the first woman to head the Senate Appropriations Committee, and one of six Democratic women to serve as committee chairs in the new Congress. * Why there haven’t been more jokes about “Plan B” and contraception, I really don’t know. Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
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