Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Italy: “Italy pulled back from the brink on Thursday, as lawmakers seemed poised to usher out Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and replace his government with a cabinet of technocrats most likely led by a former European Commissioner, Mario Monti.”
* Greece: “Lucas Papademos, a respected economist with an avuncular style, was named prime minister of Greece on Thursday. He will lead a unity government that has pledged to quickly approve the tough terms of a European aid package and save the country from bankruptcy. The choice of Mr. Papademos, a former vice president of the European Central Bank, came after four days of tense negotiations that put Greece’s feuding political parties on full display.”
* State Department delays pipeline decision: “The Obama administration on Thursday said it was delaying a decision on the contested Keystone XL pipeline while it studies an alternate route through Nebraska, effectively pushing any action well past the 2012 election and into 2013.”
* The White House approves of the delay.
* We’re starting to see some noticeable progress: “The Labor Department on Thursday said initial jobless claims fell by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 390,000 in the week ended Nov. 5, below the 398,000 forecast in a MarketWatch-compiled economist poll and the lowest level since April 2.”
* The federal budget deficit was down sharply in October as compared to last October.
* Penn State: “Joe Paterno, who has the most victories of any coach in major college football history, was fired by Penn State on Wednesday night in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal involving a prominent former assistant coach and the university’s failure to act to halt further harm.”
* Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), pushed a measure today to repeal net neutrality rules. Thankfully, the GOP failed on a 52 to 46 vote.
* I’m often frustrated by the Fed, but at least it’s not the European Central Bank.
* Murdoch media scandal continues: “James Murdoch turned on his former News of the World colleagues on Thursday as he fought to survive a second grilling over phone-hacking by British lawmakers and keep his place in his father’s media empire.”
* Congratulations to Matt Yglesias, as he makes the transition from ThinkProgress to Slate.
* I rather doubt Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) was listening, or can even understand the argument, but Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) did a terrific job explaining the ways in which marriage has evolved over time.
* Daniel Luzer: “Our workers just don’t have the skills they need to succeed in today’s economy, say America’s business leaders. Back to school with you! Well, maybe.”
* And Rush Limbaugh suggested today that women who’ve accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment may be coordinating a joint press conference “to synchronize their menstrual periods.” Remember, Rush Limbaugh is one of the most powerful and influential voices in Republican politics.
#board-2412
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle
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